Turkish military said the attack struck military service buses transporting personnel which stopped at a traffic light at 18:31 local time (1631 GMT), setting at least four buses ablaze near such government buildings as Turkish General Staff headquarters and the parliament.
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The deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said 28 people were confirmed dead, with 61 injured.
The powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic, an AFP correspondent said.
There are no reports of any group claiming responsibility for the attack, but the likelihood is that it will be attributed to either the Islamic State (ISIS) or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Erdogan convened a security meeting on late Wednesday and canceled his planned trip to Azerbaijan, while Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also canceled the travel to Brussels. “We stand together with Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally, a strong partner, and a valued member of the counter-ISIL coalition, in the face of this attack and pledge our ongoing cooperation and support in the fight against terrorism”.
A suicide bombing in the historic heart of Istanbul in January, also blamed on IS, killed 10 German tourists.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag described the attack as an act of terrorism and told parliament, which was in session when the blast occurred, that the auto had exploded on a part of the street lined on both sides by military vehicles.
Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State (IS) group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. “We could immediately hear ambulance and police auto sirens rushing to the scene”.
Turkish authorities believe an explosive-filled vehicle detonated, killing more than 28 people.
The PKK has resumed violence against the Turkish government after their peace process collapsed last summer.
Many had feared that Turkeys high level of involvement in the complicated Syrian civil war would lead to more attacks of this nature. Kurdish fighters have also been active around the border, forcing Turkey to carry out cross-border strikes.
In a joint statement, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, termed the bombing “a awful attack”.
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Turkey has been hit by a series of attacks in recent months, and there have been increasing concerns that the country could be targeted by another big attack.
