Bomb
For a cellphone video of the second explosion as it occurs, click here, then play the screen that says Cihan in the top right corner. Seconds before the blast, a man in a black shirt is seen suspiciously running from the scene. In the video, it has been marked by a red square.
For a video of the aftermath of the explosion, click here, then play the blue screen at the bottom that says Baslat. The men at the end of the video are bystanders chanting against the PKK.
A hot summer evening in the working-class district of Gungoren. Families, young and old are strolling along the shopping thoroughfare, which is closed to traffic, eating ice cream cones and cooling off from the day’s heat. Suddenly at 22:05 a big bang — a small bomb inside a phone booth on the boulevard explodes and people leave their shops and gather to help the injured and see what happened. People think it might be a gas explosion. Ten minutes later a much larger fragmentation bomb in a nearby garbage can explodes in the midst of the gathered crowd, killing 18 people, five of them children, one a pregnant woman close to giving birth, and injuring more than 150, some critically. All kinds of people are caught in the attack, young and old, men and women, with and without headscarves. The blast is so powerful that people are dismembered. Windows are blown out for 200 meters. Shoes and childrens’ toys are strewn along the street, a sign of the ensuing panic.
The immediate suspect is the PKK, which has placed garbage can bombs in similar neighborhoods before. However, with allegations that Ergenekon state-linked paramilitary groups had staged attacks in the past and blamed them on the PKK in order to cause chaos to pave the way for a coup, nothing is certain anymore. Does this have anything to do with the fact that the Constitutional Court is meeting tomorrow to decide on the fate of the AK Party (and the elected government)? No one knows. So far, no one has claimed responsibility. The PKK denies responsibility.
Right after the second bomb, residents began to chant anti-PKK slogans (the panicked scene was filmed by someone on their cellphone). There have been reports of people flying Turkish flags from their windows and gathering in front of the hospital shouting anti-PKK slogans.
The police have arrested three suspicious persons between the ages of 16 and 17. Securty cameras might have an image of the person placing one of the bombs.
In the Milliyet video between 2.9-6.0 seconds, who does the screaming guy say he’s going to kill? Nihat, are you here? Any other native speakers?
It is really sad, when these things happen!
I can’t make it out, Bulent.
PKK denounced any link with the bombing in Istanbul. Considering the timing (Ergenekon Trial and AK Party Closure Trial), it might have been done by Ergenekon supporters. This is just a guess and In Turkey only God may know who really are behind those violent activities.