In the investigation into the attack in Istanbul, Turkish authorities are questioning 49 suspects about the course of events. Subsequently, 17 arrest warrants are issued. The main suspect is ignorant and claims to have acted on the instructions of a man.
After the attack in Istanbul that killed six, the Turkish authorities arrested 17 people. Among them was the main suspect Alham Albashir, Turkish media reported. The public prosecutor's office accuses them of intentional killing and "violating the unity of the state", as reported by the state news agency Anadolu. Previously, several prosecutors had questioned 49 suspects who are said to be related to the attack. Three suspects were then conditionally released and 29 were expelled from the country.
An explosion killed six people and injured more than 80 on Sunday on Istanbul's busy Istiklal shopping street. Turkey blames the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG and the banned Kurdish Workers' Party PKK. From a Turkish perspective, both the YPG and its political arm, the PYD, are offshoots of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party PKK and are also terrorist organizations. Both groups denied any responsibility for the attack.
According to the Turkish police, the main suspect is a Syrian citizen. According to Anadolu, police questioning of the woman revealed that the 23-year-old came into contact with the YPG in 2017 through her partner. From Turkey's point of view, the YPG is an offshoot of the PKK and also a terrorist organization.
In an interview with the public prosecutor's office, the woman stated that she acted on the instructions of a man on the day of the attack, Anadolu reported. He is also said to be a member of the YPG. The man instructed her to wait on a bench and then leave a bag there. After doing so, the explosion occurred and she ran away. According to her statement, the woman did not know about a bomb in the left bag, as reported by Anadolu.
