At least 6 dead, 81 injured in possible terrorist explosion in popular Istanbul pedestrian district

An explosion rocked a popular pedestrian thoroughfare in the heart of Istanbul Sunday, killing at least six and wounding more than 80 in what Turkey’s vice president called a possible terrorist attack.

The shop- and restaurant-lined Istiklal Ave. leads to historic Taksim Square, and the district is a shopping and leisure hub for tourists and local families alike, especially on weekends.

People fled, dove under restaurant tables and took shelter in shops as emergency vehicles descended immediately after the blast. A video posted online recorded a massive bang and a flash, as people suddenly bolted.

One restaurant owner said after he heard the explosion and saw people running he closed the shutters, fearing a second blast, and calmed down his dozens of panicked customers, including women and children. Once he saw police on the avenue about 15 to 25 minutes later, he got the diners out in small groups, he said.

As of Sunday evening no one had claimed responsibility for what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a “treacherous attack” that had the “smell of terror.” Erdogan promised those responsible would be punished.

Vice President Fuat Oktay said 81 in total had been injured, with two in serious condition, and asserted it appeared to be a terrorist attack.

“Our wounded are being treated,” tweeted Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya. “We wish God’s mercy on those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to the injured. Developments will be shared with the public.”

One focus of the investigation was a woman who had been seen sitting on a bench near the blast scene for about 40 minutes, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told pro-government broadcaster A Haber. Minutes after the unidentified woman left, the explosion erupted.

The incident harked back to the two years spanning 2015 to 2017, when a string of similar fatal attacks rained down upon Turkey via the Islamic State, with others perpetrated by Kurdish militants vying for independence or at least increased autonomy. More than 500 civilians and security personnel died in those attacks, which prompted Turkey to conduct military operations over the border in both Syria and northern Iraq.

Erdogan had been cracking down not only on militants but also on Kurdish lawmakers, activists and journalists within Turkey’s borders in recent years and made anti-terrorism a focus leading up to next year’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. Critics have accused him of going too far and stifling free speech.

Having led Turkey first as prime minister and, since 2014, as its president, the autocratic-leaning politician is seeking a new five-year term. Last month he promised a new constitution strengthening “the rule of law, pluralism, justice and equality.”

Meanwhile, the country’s economy is under siege from a number of factors, including skyrocketing inflation that saw prices spike 86% between October 2021 and the same month in 2022, up by 3.5% from September, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. It’s the highest inflation rate the country has seen in 24 years, and an independent organization, the Inflation Research Group, said last week that it’s more like 185%.

With News Wire Services