Many killed in Ankara bomb blast

[Syt]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/10/turkey-suicide-bomb-killed-in-ankara

Turkey 'terror attack': many killed in Ankara blasts

At least 30 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in a terrorist attack on a peace rally in the centre of the Turkish capital, according to reports.

Twin explosions outside Ankara's main train station on Saturday morning appear to have targeted hundreds of people who had gathered to protest violence between authorities and Kurdish separatist group, the PKK.

Turkish government officials said the explosion was a terrorist attack and are investigating the claim that a suicide bomber was responsible.

Turkey's prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, is to hold a meeting with government officials and security chiefs in response to the attack, his office said.

The country's interior ministry confirmed 30 people were killed in the blasts and 126 were wounded. A Reuters reporter at the scene saw at least 20 bodies covered by flags, with bloodstains and body parts scattered on the road.

Witnessessaid the blasts were seconds apart shortly after 10am and were so powerful they rocked nearby high-rise buildings.

Those involved in the peace march tended to the wounded lying on the ground, as hundreds of stunned people wandered around the streets. Bodies lay in two circles around 20 metres apart where the explosions had taken place

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurred ahead of the planned peace march to the long-running conflict between the state and Kurdish militants in south-east Turkey.

The explosion came three weeks ahead of a parliamentary election and amid growing security concerns in the region. A rally for the pro-Kurdish HDP party was bombed in June, ahead of last year's general election.

The country has been in a heightened state of alert since starting a "synchronized war on terror" in July, including airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria and PKK bases in northern Iraq. It has also rounded up hundreds of suspected militants at home.

Designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK launched a separatist insurgency in 1984 in which more than 40,000 people have been killed.

The state launched peace talks with the PKK's jailed leader in 2012 and the latest in a series of ceasefires had been holding until the violence flared again in July.

More details soon...

[The Brain]

 

[Duque de Bragança]

Tension Strategy alla Turca?

[jimmy olsen]

Shit, the Kurds are accusing the government of being behind it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34495161

Two explosions at a peace rally in the Turkish capital Ankara have killed at least 30 people and injured 126, the interior ministry says.

TV footage shows scenes of panic and people lying on the ground covered in blood, amid protest banners.

The blasts took place near the city's central train station as people gathered for a march organised by leftist groups.

Turkey's president condemned the attacks as "terrorist acts".

Government officials are investigating reports that a suicide bomber was behind at least one of the explosions.

The pro-Kurdish HDP party was among those attending the rally.

The leader of the HDP has blamed the state for the attack, which he called "a huge massacre", and cancelled all election rallies.

Turkey is holding a re-run of June's inconclusive parliamentary elections on 1 November.

The HDP was among those joining Saturday's rally for "peace and democracy", called for by the confederation of trades unions, which was due to start at 12:00 local time.

The two explosions happened shortly after 10:00 as crowds gathered ahead of the rally. Amateur video footage showed a group of young people holding hands and singing, before the first blast.

The HDP tweeted that police "attacked" people carrying the injured away.

Opposition MP Musa Cam tweeted a photo of a ball bearing he says he found at the scene.

Local resident Emre told the BBC that he heard two separate explosions and saw a number of dead bodies. Angry people tried to attack police cars, he said.

An HDP rally in the city of Diyarbakir was bombed in June, ahead of general elections in which the party entered parliament for the first time.

The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says it was feared that another similar attack was imminent, as voters prepare to go to the polls once more.

In July, a suicide bombing by suspected Islamic State militants on a gathering of Socialist youth activists in the town of Suruc on the Syrian border killed at least 30 people.

A ceasefire between the Kurdish militant group the PKK and Turkey's government later broke down, and there have been regular attacks from both sides since then.

[Martinus]

Wouldn't put it past Erdogan.

[Razgovory]

Wouldn't put it past Erdogan.

I imagine someone would have noticed by now if he had blown himself up.

[HisMajestyBOB]

If only Erdogan had been a suicide bomber.

The best thing for Turkey would be for Erdogan to gracefully step down after the elections. Since that's not happening, the second-best thing would be for him to die from a stroke or heart attack.

[Syt]

If only Erdogan had been a suicide bomber.

The best thing for Turkey would be for Erdogan to gracefully step down after the elections. Since that's not happening, the second-best thing would be for him to die from a stroke or heart attack.

He's recently had the chief editor of Today Zaman arrested because he supposedly insulted the president on Twitter.

[Syt]

Latest official number is 86 dead.

[HisMajestyBOB]

If only Erdogan had been a suicide bomber.

The best thing for Turkey would be for Erdogan to gracefully step down after the elections. Since that's not happening, the second-best thing would be for him to die from a stroke or heart attack.

He's recently had the chief editor of Today Zaman arrested because he supposedly insulted the president on Twitter.

The Presidency of Turkey is supposed to be pretty limited in power, but Erdogan pulled a Putin. He, very transparently, wants to be dictator of Turkey so damn bad. If he gets the votes this coming election, he'll modify the constitution and grant himself a bunch of powers. If he loses, he'll likely try to ban the opposition parties and you'll see street fights between his supporters and theirs. A military coup would also inflame his supporters, and I'm not sure if the military has the ability to pull off a coup. So best case - he dies in his sleep of natural causes.

[Syt]

Well, the military's political power has been successively been de-fanged since he's come to power, so that's unlikely.

[Malicious Intent]

Erdogan pulled a little trick a while back: When a lot of top positions had to be newly appointed, Erdogan had all those accused of planning a coup, who were opposed to the AKP or firmly in favour of Turkey's old and strictly secular system. Those officers were barred from promotions for the duration of the following criminal investigations. By the time they were finally cleared or pardoned, all top military positions were taken by people who were either uninterested in politics or favourable towards the AKP.

[Razgovory]

They also threw Erdogan in jail back in the 1990's for reciting a poem.  I guess he got even. 

[DGuller]

Wouldn't put it past Erdogan to organize a false flag attack.

[Razgovory]

Wouldn't put it past Erdogan to organize a false flag attack.

You have to have someone pretty fucking dedicated to do a false flag suicide bombing.  The only party involved known to use suicide bombing is the Kurdish PKK, though why they would do so against their own people doesn't make any sense to me.

You guys are reminding me of all those conservatives who were convinced that Hugo Chavez WAS COMING STRAIGHT FOR US!  Just as Chavez wasn't going to light Latin America on fire with Communism and Obamacare, Erdogan isn't about to install a theocracy and Jihad his way across Europe.  At worst he's a Putin acting out pretending he lives in a long lost empire.