Fact check: Video in social media post shows 2016 Istanbul bomb, not recent explosion

Ana Faguy, USA TODAY
·2 min read

The claim: Video shows recent Istanbul blast

Six people were killed and dozens wounded after a bomb exploded Nov. 13 at a popular tourist destination in Istanbul.

While information about the attack is still being released, some social media users are sharing a video they claim shows the recent bombing.

"A BOMB HAS EXPLODED ON ISTIKLAL STREET IN ISTANBUL(turkey), KILLING 6 PEOPLE & WOUNDED MORE THAN 81 PEOPLE," reads the caption of the Nov. 13 Facebook post.

Before it was deleted, another version of the video was shared 80 times in a day.

But the video is miscaptioned. It's from a 2016 Istanbul bombing, not this most recent explosion.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment.

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Security and ambulances at the scene after an explosion on Istanbul's popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya tweeted that the explosion occurred at about 4:20 p.m. and that there were deaths and injuries, but he did not say how many. The cause of the explosion was not clear.
Security and ambulances at the scene after an explosion on Istanbul's popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya tweeted that the explosion occurred at about 4:20 p.m. and that there were deaths and injuries, but he did not say how many. The cause of the explosion was not clear.

Video in social media post is from a suicide bombing in Istanbul in 2016

The video social media users are sharing is from a suicide bombing in Istanbul in March 2016. The same video can be seen in a story published by The Jerusalem Post.

Details from the video in the social media post and the 2016 video match. In both videos, a number of people can be seen walking along a busy street, including a person in a white jacket who appears to wave. The camera then pans up to a red storefront and the bomb goes off.

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Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that a video shows a recent Istanbul blast. The video is miscaptioned, it is from a 2016 suicide bombing in Istanbul.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video shows 2016 Istanbul bomb, not recent explosion