After the massacre in Istanbul, the Turkish leadership spoke of an attack. But information continues to slowly leak out and a news blackout persists. Only information from official bodies may be disseminated. The at least six dead and dozens injured in the popular shopping street Istiklal in the center of the metropolis are probably attributed to a female suicide bomber. Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Sunday evening: “A suspect detonated a bomb.” Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s deputy did not provide further details.
“Those responsible will receive the punishment they deserve,” Erdogan said. In the past, Istanbul and other Turkish cities have repeatedly been rocked by politically motivated attacks by militant Kurdish or Islamist groups.
Surveillance camera footage that has circulated on social media shows a woman placing a backpack in front of a concrete flower box before the massive explosion. The woman is dressed in dark and wearing a hijab. It has not yet been officially confirmed that this is the suspect the Vice President is referring to.
Immediately there were numerous international expressions of condolence, including from Austria. “In light of the horrific explosion this afternoon in the heart of Beyoglu, my thoughts go out to the families of the victims,” President Alexander Van der Bellen wrote on Twitter. Chancellor Karl Nehammer issued a similar statement, speaking of a “terrible explosion” and wishing the injured a speedy recovery. “I hope the background can be clarified as soon as possible,” Nehammer said on Twitter on Sunday evening. The Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter about “terrible news” from Istanbul and also sent recovery wishes to the injured. The chairwoman of the parliament’s foreign policy committee, SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner, also expressed her “deep condolences” to the victims and their families on the same medium.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna has not yet received any indication of Austrian victims. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was also “shocked”. “In this moment of shock, we Germans stand with the citizens of Istanbul and the Turkish people.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
