The suicide bomber who killed 10 people in Istanbul registered as a refugee in Turkey just one week before the attack after entering the country from Syria, according to Turkish media.
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The government said the attack was carried out by a 28-year-old Syrian man who was an ISIS member and had recently entered Turkey from Syria.
Police have detained four suspects in connection with the Istanbul suicide bomb attack, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said late on Wednesday.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere left, listens to his Turkish counterpart Efkan Ala, right, during a joint news conference in Istanbul, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016.
Mr de Maiziere said there was “no indication” that the German tourists had been specifically targeted and said there was “no reason” for Germans to cancel trips to Turkey. But the German foreign ministry has advised its nationals to keep away from large groups in public places and tourist attractions in Istanbul.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government have said publicly that about 2,000 Russians are believed to be fighting with ISIS in Syria and Iraq, many of them from the Caucasus region in Russia’s southwest, where the government has battled Islamist insurgents for decades.
Long accused of failing to crack down on IS, Turkey has in recent months moved against cells operating on its territory after several deadly attacks blamed on the group.
“Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally, is a vital friend of the United Kingdom and a critical partner in tackling Islamist extremism, as we have seen so tragically in Istanbul this week”, British foreign office quoted Hammond saying a day before his scheduled visit to Ankara.
YENI SAFAK ran with the headline: “The bomber’s family speaks”.
The attack in Diyarbakir comes on the heels of the suicide bombing Tuesday in Istanbul.
Eleven people still remained injured at hospital, among whom nine Germans, one Norwegian and one Peruvian. A total of 11 are undergoing treatment and two of them are critical, Ala said.
Analysts say the attack in Sultanahmet most likely is a response to Turkey’s increased cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State targets in Syria.
The latest on the investigation into the explosion in the historic center of Istanbul.
Police seized documents and CDs in a search of the premises where they were staying, Turkey’s Dogan News Agency said. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the suspects were allegedly in contact with IS fighters in conflict zones and had provided logistical support to the group.
The terror group hasn’t claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Three more suspected ISIL members – all Russian – were detained on Wednesday in the southern resort city of Antalya.
