Turkey accuses ISIS of Ankara bomb attack

12 ottobre 2015

2 min di lettura

(AGI) Rome, Oct 12 - The Turkish government named ISIS as theprime suspect in the terror attack on a pro-Kurdish peace marchon Saturday morning in Ankara. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglucalled the double suicide bombing, in which over 120 peopledied, "an attempt to cast a shadow over Turkey's parliamentaryelection on Nov. 1 and an attempt to influence the results". Hesaid that the authorities are close to identifying one of thebombers, who are "both men". "If you look at the way thisattack was carried out, we consider that investigations intoISIS are the number one priority," said the prime minister. Thedevelopments in the investigation did not assuage Kurdish angeror that of many outraged Turks. Two children have died in theprotests so far: a three-year old in Adana, mortally wounded bypolice gunfire while in her mother's arms, and the other9-year-old Helis Sein, in the southeastern province ofDiayarbakir, hit in the head by three bullets. "Since lastnight clashes have increased in the Sur district, which hasbeen placed under curfew," reported the pro-Kurdish Peoples'Democratic Party (HDP). The elections, seen as a referendum onPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will go ahead, but tension ishigh. Mr Erdogan hopes to win back an absolute majority for hisAKP, Justice and Development party. For weeks he has violentlyattacked the HDP, accusing it of being the political wing ofthe Kurdish rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Thiscarefully orchestrated demonisation continued in parallel withan ambiguous attitude towards Syria, where the Kurds arefighting ISIS. Now the country is split in two and theopposition accuses the president at best of failing in terms ofintelligence activities, and at worst of complicity in stirringup nationalist anti-Kurdish sentiments. The situation,recognised Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, "isdramatic" and the hope is that "in the coming weeks it will bepossible to make it through to the elections of Nov. 1 withoutdeteriorating further." The worrying thing, said the minister,is the "threat to the stability of a country that is part ofNATO. It is our ally and has a strategic role in the region."In addition to this is the fear that "the climate of violencemay also weaken the democratic forces of the opposition". (AGI).