The government has blamed a Syrian Kurdish group classified as a terror organisation by Ankara as well as homegrown Kurdish militants for the auto bombing on Wednesday in the heart of the Turkish capital.
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Davutoglu also said that a member of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) – a militant branch of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Kurdish political group – joined Neccar in crossing from Syria to Turkey and carrying out the attack.
Following the attack, Turkey stepped up pressure on the United States and other allies to cut off support to the militia group.
TAK’s statements – including one in Turkish and another in English – blast what they call Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “fascist dictatorship” and vow more bloodshed as part of “our war of taking revenge”.
Erdogan said the attack would show the global community the strong links that exist between the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish militias.
In 2008, the TAK was deemed a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group by the United States.
Turkish president and his American counterpart spoke over the phone for over an hour to discuss a host of issues, including Wednesday’s Ankara bombing and the ongoing Syrian crisis, Turkish and USA official sources said Friday night.
The Kurdish group denies any involvement in the bombing.
The two groups are now battling for the same territory in northern Syria. It said the latest suspects are believed to be linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
At least 102 people were killed in a bombing in Ankara on October 10 a year ago that was carried out under orders from Islamic State in Syria, according to the prosecutor’s office at the time.
Turkey has reportedly continued its military campaign against YPG positions in Syria despite worldwide opposition.
Western powers on Friday turned down a Russian draft resolution calling for an immediate end to cross-border shellings and plans – supported by Turkey – for foreign ground intervention in Syria.
“We know there are people who have conducted such acts before as retaliation of massacres in Kurdistan”, Bayik said in an interview with the PKK-affiliated Firat News Agency.
“The Freedom Falcons are a group that assume responsibility for PKK attacks when it’s not convenient for the PKK to do so”, Cagaptay said.
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Cavusoglu says John Kerry made the statement in a phone call to the Minister yesterday in which Kerry expressed his condolences for the 28 killed in a terrorist attack in Ankara.
