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Ankara Attack May Complicate US-Turkish Relations, Fight Against ISIS and Assad

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) on Thursday denied Turkish accusations that Kurdish militants were behind the suicide bombing in Ankara on Wednesday that killed at least 28 people.

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The PKK took up arms for the cause and have carried out attacks similar to the Ankara one in the past. The exchange of fire came after YPG’s recent advance into Azaz which has been the scene of recent heavy fighting just six kilometers (four miles) from the Turkish border.

Turkey’s armed forces would continue their shelling of recent days of YPG positions in northern Syria, Davutoglu said, promising that those responsible would “pay the price”. Turkish premier further said that the PYD was fighting Syria’s moderate opposition under the pretext of battling Daesh.

Neccar, whose name sounds Kurdish, was born in the mostly Kurdish Syrian town of Amouda, near the Turkish border, according to Davutoglu.

Davutoglu said PKK militants collaborated with the Syrian man to carry out the deadly attack.

The Islamic State also claimed responsibility for a June 2015 attack at the Tunisian resort of Sousse in which 38 people were reported killed. Authorities blamed PKK fighters for the explosion.

Mr Erdogan said the attack would show the worldwide community the strong links that exist between the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish militias.

The rebel fighters, with weapons and vehicles, have been covertly escorted across the border by Turkish forces over several nights, before heading into the embattled rebel stronghold of Azaz, the sources said. “It is out of the question for us to excuse a terror organization that threatens the capital of our country”.

Those same militants are allies of the United States in the Syrian Civil War.

That’s drawn the ire of Erdogan, who said last week the United States is responsible for a “sea of blood” in Syria because of its support for the YPG.

It said that Merkel strongly condemned the attack and assured both leaders that “Germany stands in solidarity at Turkey’s side in the fight against terrorism”. The Libyan officials spoke on condition of anonymity recently with The Associated Press on this matter because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The five permanent members are Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. Now there are 14 people detained and I don’t think that’s the end, there will be more arrests.

Those attacks were blamed on Islamic State, as were two other deadly bombings in the country’s Kurdish-dominated south-east in 2015. One official said the attack was carried out by multiple U.S. Air Force F-15E strike aircraft operating from a base in Europe. “Turkey reserves the right to take any measure against the Syrian regime”.

Following the attack, Turkish intelligence prohibited spreading information related to the blast and to Salih Necar on social networks, which it also did after the terror attack near the Sultan Ahmed in January.

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Turkish leaders vowed to retaliate for the Ankara attack, and the military said its warplanes conducted cross-border raids within hours against PKK positions in the Haftanin region of northern Iraq, striking about 60-70 rebels, including senior leaders. The claim could not be verified.

Five killed in Turkey car bombing