IRIA News

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a government building in Turkey’s capital Ankara on October 1, 2023. The bomber died while his assailant was killed in a shootout. Two police officials were injured.

The blast occurred at the entrance to the country’s Ministry of Interior Affairs building. The attackers arrived at the scene inside a light commercial vehicle. They were intercepted by the security officials at the gates as one of the attackers blew himself up while the other one was killed in the shootout.

Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported on social media that “Our heroic police officers, through their intuition, resisted the terrorists as soon as they got out of the vehicle.” He said, “One of them blew himself up while the other one was shot in the head before he had a chance to blow himself up.”

The minister did not indicate who was behind the attack. “Our fight against terrorism, their collaborators, the (drug) dealers, gangs, and organized crime organizations will continue with determination,” Yerlikaya said in his social media post.

Blast reported near Ankara parliament buildinghttps://t.co/z5x9nccMKl pic.twitter.com/uU78DO3RtS

— Hürriyet Daily News (@HDNER) October 1, 2023

Videos from the scene show armed police officers, fire trucks, and ambulances in the area of the attack. Security camera footage from before the attack showed a vehicle stopping in front of the ministry, with a man exiting it and rushing toward the entrance of the building before blowing himself up. A second man is seen following him.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation has been launched into the “terror attack.” In a statement released on Twitter, Yilmaz said “These attacks will in no way hinder Turkey’s fight against terrorism.” He added, “Our fight against terrorism will continue with more determination.”

PKK claims responsibility

Authorities in Ankara did not specify any particular terror group. However, the ANF News website, affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, reported that the PKK claimed responsibility for the attack.

Designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, the PKK initiated an insurgency in southeast Turkey in 1984, resulting in over 40,000 casualties during the conflict.

Erdogan says “Terrorists will never succeed in destroying Turkiye’s peace”

The bombing occurred on the same day as the Turkish Parliament began its new legislative year after the summer break.

In his speech at the opening of a new parliamentary session, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the morning attack “the last stand of terrorism.” He vowed that ”Those who threaten the peace and security of citizens have not achieved their goals and never will”.

Emphasizing the importance of unity against terrorism, President Erdogan stated, “We have largely solved the separatist terrorism issue, which has made our country pay heavy human and economic costs for 40 years, within our borders.” Furthermore, Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey’s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism until the last terrorist, whether at home or abroad, is eliminated, stating, “We will not allow the terrorist group to direct politics or prevent the sacred march of our country.”

The attack came only hours before the parliament was set to host a ceremony for the beginning of its new terms led by President Erdogan.

Sweden’s accession into the NATO alliance remains the top agenda for the parliamentary debate. Erdogan’s parliamentary speech is expected to be monitored closely by Western observers for indications as to when Turkey’s parliament may ratify Sweden’s membership in NATO.

Turkey has blocked Sweden’s bid to join the NATO alliance accusing Stockholm of being lenient towards the anti-Turkish militant groups. Ankara has accused Stockholm of hosting and facilitating Kurdish militant leaders who are orchestrating acts of terrorism and militant movements in Turkey.

Militants, mainly from the banned Kurdish Workers Party, used to carry out frequent attacks across the country. The attacks came to a halt after the Turkish military conducted a series of operations in the Kurdish-majority regions as well as in Iraq and Syria to suppress the terrorist groups.

The current attack in Turkey is the second blast in less than one year. Last year, a bomb blast occurred on a busy pedestrian street in Istanbul that left six people dead. More than 80 others were wounded. Turkey blamed the attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, as well as Syrian Kurdish groups affiliated with it.