At least 11 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a bus carrying Turkish police was hit by a car bomb in Istanbul this morning.
The blast took place during rush hour in the city's historic Beyazit centre, a popular tourist area.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was "unforgivable" to target officers whose jobs were to protect others.
"We shall continue our fight against terrorists tirelessly until the end," he said.
Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also condemned the attack, pointing out that it had come on the second day of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. "They are cold-heartedly exploding bombs on a Ramadan day," he said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Suspicion has fallen on Islamic State, Kurdish militant groups and left-wing extremists, all of whom "have recently orchestrated attacks in Turkey", says The Independent.
According to the BBC's Mark Lowen, the "most likely culprit" is the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has claimed previous attacks on security forces. A fragile ceasefire between Kurds and the government collapsed last July.
This is the fourth such attack in Istanbul this year but, as of this afternoon, authorities were refusing to comment on who may have been behind the attack and a news blackout had been imposed "preventing media from reporting details of the investigation", reports The Guardian.
Graphic created by Statista for The Week UK
-
How will the Warner Bros. bidding war affect the entertainment industry?Today’s Big Question Both Netflix and Paramount are trying to purchase the company
-
Political cartoons for December 9Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include black market vaccines, FIFA prizes, and drone deliveries
-
How dangerous is the ‘K’ strain super-flu?The Explainer Surge in cases of new variant H3N2 flu in UK and around the world
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
France’s ‘red hands’ trial highlights alleged Russian disruption operationsUNDER THE RADAR Attacks on religious and cultural institutions around France have authorities worried about Moscow’s effort to sow chaos in one of Europe’s political centers
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
