The 17 suspects, including the woman accused of planting the bomb, were imprisoned in Marmara prison, on the outskirts of Istanbul.
Seventeen suspects have been remanded in custody for the attack that took place on Sunday, November 13, on Istanbul’s central Istiklal pedestrian street, in which 6 people were killed and 81 injured.
The attack is attributed by the Turkish authorities to the Kurdish PKK fighters and their allies in Syria, Turkish media reported today, something the PKK denies. Also, no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Among these 17 people is the woman accused of planting the bomb on a bench on Istiklal Avenue. Young Alham Albasir, aged 23, is said to have confessed to her act – and that she acted on behalf of the PKK – during her detention.
See related: Explosion in Istanbul: New video from CNN Turk of the suspect’s march on the Istiklal street
The 17 suspects, some of whom are accused of directly helping to carry out the attack, were imprisoned in the Marmara prison – until recently known as Silivri (Silyvria) prison – on the outskirts of Istanbul.
By the beginning of the week, 51 people had been arrested.
According to Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency, citing a police report, Alham Albasir said she first came into contact with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in 2017 through her ex-boyfriend and, after they broke up, maintained a relationship with the organization. She also testified that she did not know what was inside the bag she was told to leave on the bench in Istiklal and that it had been given to her by another suspect, who later fled Turkey.
The PKK and the Syrian Kurdish militia the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey accuses of being linked to the PKK, have denied any involvement in the Istanbul attack.
The YPG had been supported by Western European countries, particularly the US and France, and had been at the forefront of the battle against the Islamic State group in Syria.
The two organizations are considered “terrorist” by Ankara, while the PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by both the US and the EU.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
