Turkey Islamic State hand in bombing, vows election will be Carry on
TURKISH Officials say they doubtful IS militants were behind the suicide bombing which killed 128 people in Ankara on Saturday.
But demonstrators took to the capital’s streets again yesterday, blaming President Tayyip Erdogan.
Saturday’s twin blasts were aimed at pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups on a peace march through the city.
Thousands of people gathered near the scene of the attack at Ankara’s main railway station yesterday, many accusing Erdogan and the police of failing to provide proper security on Saturday.
They also condemned the president of passion nationalist sentiment with his military campaign against Kurdish militants. Police blocked roads to government buildings and used water cannon as the crowd chanted, “murderer Erdogan”, “murderer police”.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, a major presence at Saturday’s march and which has seats in parliament, said police attacked its leaders and members as they tried to leave carnations at the scene.
The attacks have shocked a nation beset by resurgent conflict with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party in its southeast and increasingly threatened by spillover from the war in Syria.
But the government insists the events will not derail elections set for November 1.
IS fighters are currently encamped close to Turkey’s border with Syria.
Last week Russian planes violated Turkish airspace during strikes in Syria.
Notwithstanding of who may have planned the attack, it showed how deeply Turkey is being drawn into the chaos in Syria, with which it shares a 900 km-long border.