Istanbul — Turkey declared a day of national mourning on Sunday after twin bombings killed 38 people near a football stadium in Istanbul and said Kurdish militants appeared to have staged the attacks. A car bomb detonated on Saturday outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas after a Super Lig match between Besiktas and Bursaspor, and less than a minute later a suicide attacker blew himself up near a group of police at a park. An offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on Sunday claimed responsibility for the attacks. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim had ordered flags to fly at half mast, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan postponed a planned trip to Kazakhstan, state news agency Anadolu reported. "The target was directly the police," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told private CNN Turk. "Experts say at least 300kg-400kg of explosives had been used. There was a pit where the car detonated." Interior Minister Suleman Soylu said 30 police, seven civilians and an...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.