Police arrive at the site of an explosion in central Istanbul, Turkey, December 10, 20. Reuters
Istanbul - Turkey declares one-day mourning after Istanbul bombings, state news agency
Published: Sun 11 Dec 2016, 11:05 PM
Turkey declares day's mourning after Istanbul bombings
Turkey declared a one-day morning Sunday after twin blasts ripped through the heart of Istanbul following a football match killing 29 people, mainly police, and wounding 166, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also ordered flags to fly at half mast after a car bombing near a football stadium followed by a suicide bombing at a nearby park, Anadolu said.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the first blast was caused by a car bomb that struck outside Besiktas's football stadium.
It was followed 45 seconds later by another attack at nearby Macka Park, carried out by a suicide bomber who blew himself up in the midst of police officers.
The minister said the government suspects the two bombings were linked.
The authorities did not say who was behind the blasts but the attacks were the latest in a year that has seen Istanbul and other Turkish cities rocked by a string of attacks blamed on Daesh and Kurdish militants.
Major bomb attacks in Turkey
Following is a list of the worst bomb attacks in Turkey over the past three decades:
August 20: 57 people, 34 of them children, die in an Deash -linked bomb attack on a Kurdish wedding in the Turkish city of Gaziantep near the Syrian border.
June 28: 47 people are killed, including foreigners, and over 200 injured in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport. There is no claim of responsibility but authorities say evidence points to Deash.
June 7: At least seven police officers and four civilians die when a bomb rips through a police vehicle near the historic centre of Istanbul. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a radical offshoot of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), claims the attack and warns tourists to stay away.
March 19: Three Israelis and an Iranian are killed and dozens injured in a suicide bombing targeting Istanbul shopping thoroughfare Istiklal Caddesi. Pro-government media blame Deash.
March 13: 34 people are killed and dozens wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in Ankara. TAK claims the assault.
February 17: At least 29 people are killed in a suicide bombing attack targeting the Turkish military in Ankara. The attack is also claimed by TAK.
January 12: Twelve German tourists are killed and more than a dozen others wounded in a suicide attack by a Syrian bomber in Istanbul's Sultanahmet district, the ancient tourist heart of the city and home of the Blue Mosque. The prime minister said the bomber belonged to Deash.
October 10: In the bloodiest attack in Turkey's history, 103 people are killed and more than 500 wounded in twin suicide bombings targeting a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara. The prime minister says Deash was the main suspect.
July 20: 34 people are killed and about 100 wounded in a suicide bombing in the predominantly Kurdish town of Suruc near the border with Syria. Turkish officials again blame Deash.
May 11: A twin car bomb attack kills 52 people in the town of Reyhanli near the Syrian border. Ankara blames pro-Damascus groups.
February 11: 17 people are killed when a Syrian minibus explodes in Reyhanli.
July 27: Two bombings in Istanbul leave 17 dead and 115 wounded. Ankara blames the PKK.
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