The plazas and cobblestone streets of the historic heart of Istanbul were without their usual bustle Wednesday, a day after a suicide bomber believed to be linked to the Islamic State killed 10 people just a stone’s throw from some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
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Turkish authorities have blamed the Istanbul attack on the terrorist group ISIS – although Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday, somewhat mysteriously, that ISIS had not been the primary actor.
“The attack is not specifically aimed at German people or Germany”, Maiziere said, according to the paper.
“I see no reason to avoid trips to Turkey”.
Turkish authorities identified the assailant in Tuesday’s attack as a Syrian man who was born in 1988, and said he was affiliated with the Islamic State group. They initially said he was Syrian. The paper reported that the suicide bomber, which it identified as Nabil Fadli, applied to Turkey’s Migration Management Directorate in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul on January 5 as an asylum seeker.
Dozens of tourists and Turks holding carnations have paid their respects at the blast scene on Thursday, near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, the top sites in one of the world’s most visited cities.
Turkish authorities yesterday detained three Russian nationals with suspected links to Islamic State (IS), while a nationwide probe was launched into how a jihadist from Syria killed 10 tourists during an attack in the heart of Istanbul.
Turkey has faced a series of deadly attacks. According to Hürriyet, it was known that Islamic State was “in preparations for attacks on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation representative offices, embassy and consulate buildings, spots where foreign citizens are populated and tourists…” De Maiziere said those talks will also address “the determined fight against terrorism”.
“Turkey will continue to punish with even greater force any threat that is directed against Turkey or its guests”, Davutoglu said.
Turkish security forces over the last few days also rounded up over 70 suspected IS members across the country, but it was not clear if any were directly connected to the Istanbul attack.
The three Russian nationals arrested in the city of Antalya are reported to have been in contact with IS fighters and were seized alongside documents and weapons.
Turkey has been on high security alert since more than 100 people were killed in twin blasts in Ankara last October.
Members of Turkish medical association (TTB) lay flowers in Istanbul’s tourist hub of Sultanahmet.
The Anadolu Agency report said the terrorists detonated a vehicle laden with explosives and simultaneously launched an attack on the district office with gunfire.
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Germany promised Tornado reconnaissance jets to aid efforts to wipe out ISIS in Syria following the November attacks in Paris.
