Turkish security forces have arrested in an operation in the area of Syria under their control a person allegedly linked to the attack executed on Sunday in the Turkish city of Istanbul, which left six dead and more than 80 wounded and which Ankara has blamed on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The suspect, identified only through his alias, ‘Husam’, has been arrested in the city of Azaz for allegedly collaborating in the execution of the bombing, according to the Turkish state news agency, Anatolia, which notes that the man is a member of the Kurdish-Syrian militia People’s Protection Units (YPG), which has ties with the PKK.
Turkish authorities indicate that the man allegedly traveled to Istanbul a year ago and maintained contact with the main suspect of placing the explosive device on Istiklal Avenue, identified as Ahlam Albashir, to prepare the attack. The suspect allegedly fled to the neighboring country after the attack.
The announcement of the arrest of this suspect comes just hours before some of those detained after the attack are due to appear before a Turkish court as part of the proceedings opened after the attack, whose authorship remains unclaimed. Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu confirmed Monday the arrest of the main suspect and pointed to the PKK as responsible. He said the order came from Ain al Arab (Kobani), where the YPG operate.
However the PKK disassociated itself from the attack. «We have nothing to do with this incident and it is well known to the public that we do not directly target civilians nor do we condone actions directed against civilians,» the People’s Defense Center Headquarters Command (HSM) said,» it noted. Likewise, the SDF, a coalition of militias whose main element is the YPG, also denied any connection with the attack.
