At least six people were killed in an explosion in the center of Istanbul on Sunday afternoon. At least 81 were also injured, Turkish President Erdogan said at a press conference.
According to him, it was an attack and the perpetrators will be found and punished. Emergency services are on site and have cordoned off the area. People are advised not to go to the area.
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The explosion happened around 4:30 (local time) on Istiklal Caddesi, a popular shopping street near Taksim Square. Photos are circulating on social media showing an enormous devastation and a cloud of smoke rising from the street. There are also several people on the ground, some in a pool of blood.
Immediately after the explosion there were rumors that it was a suicide attack. Videos also surfaced showing a woman leaving something behind in the busy shopping street just before the bang. Erdogan confirmed that a woman was involved in the attack. Vice President Fuat Oktay said it was a suicide attack by a woman. No responsibility has been claimed for the explosion.
The numbers are likely to continue to rise. A lot of damage has also been done. Videos from Twitter show passers-by taking care of injured and lifeless bodies lying on the ground after the explosion. The explosion happened in the middle of the walking crowd.
Fear of attack
The Chief Public Prosecutor has launched an investigation into the facts. Turkey has been plagued for decades by attacks by various groups, including the Kurdish PKK, the Kurdish TAK, the Islamic fundamentalist IS and far-left organizations. The Istiklal Caddesi is 1.4 kilometers long and connects a square near the Galata Tower with Taksim Square in the central European part of Istanbul, where thousands of people walk every day. Precisely because the square is so central and there are always so many people walking around, attacks have been committed here more often.
In the past, the area around Taksim has been the target of deadly terrorist attacks. In 2016, four people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Istiklal Street. Many shopkeepers in the Beyoglu district, where the street is located, closed their shops after the attack.
The Turkish media umbrella organization RTÜK has imposed a temporary broadcasting ban on the explosion in Istanbul by order of the court. The only information about the explosion is coming out through official channels of the Turkish government. It is unclear why, it may have to do with the ongoing investigation by the emergency services and the judiciary.
Dutch political analyst Rena Netjes also lives in the center of Istanbul, but too far from the site of the explosion to hear it for herself. “The explosion took place near the Dutch consulate, a little further, opposite the clothing store Mango, in the middle of Istiklal Caddesi. I hear ambulances coming and going and helicopters overhead. Maybe the police will shut down some. It is feared that it is an attack and that there could be several attacks,” said Netjes.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs De Telegraaf that it has no information for the time being that Dutch people are among the victims. The Dutch consulate, which is located a 10-minute walk from the site of the explosion, is in contact with the local authorities. The Dutch are urged to avoid the area surrounding the affected shopping street for the time being.
Football club Galatasaray has canceled its game on Sunday evening. Other major football clubs from Istanbul are also not playing.