UPDATE: Turkish police arrest man suspected of planting bomb that killed six in Istanbul

A man suspected of planting the bomb that killed six people in Istanbul has been arrested by Turkish police.

UPDATE: Monday, November 14 at 02:45am

As announced by Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Monday, November 14, the police in Istanbul have arrested a man suspected of planting the bomb that claimed the life of six people yesterday, Sunday 13. This was reported by the Anadolu News Agency on its Twitter profile @anadoluagency.

In an interview with the Turkish television station TRT, Soylu said: “The person who dropped the bomb was detained. PKK/PYD terrorist organisation within the framework of our findings. In the near future, we will show them a reward in which those who caused us this pain can experience more and more pain”.

#CanlıYayın 📡|📍İstanbul – Taksim | Basın Açıklaması https://t.co/mrp21S9CFA

— Süleyman Soylu (@suleymansoylu) November 14, 2022

#URGENT Person who left bomb that caused explosion Sunday on Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue arrested by police, says Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu pic.twitter.com/I08OTC4rPb

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 14, 2022

UPDATE: Sunday, November 13 at 7:15pm

Turkish authorities have revealed that the police are hunting for a suspicious female caught on CCTV. They said she is suspected of planting a bag containing the bomb that killed six people in the city of Istanbul earlier today.

The Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay is reported as confirming that a female is suspected of carrying out the attack, as reported on the Baza telegram channel.

Sunday, November 13 at 5:52pm

At least six people are confirmed to have been killed in an explosion on Istiklal Street in Istanbul’s popular Taksim Square in Turkey today, Sunday, November 13. The suspected bomb attack that occurred in the Beyoglu district is thought to have been caused by a possible suicide bomber detonating a device.

A video clip posted on social media which appears to be from a security camera shows a busy street full of people and what looks like a person dropping a package on the ground. A large explosion follows but there is no further information yet regarding the actual cause of the blast.

Another clip – too graphic to show here – shows the street packed with pedestrians. A man can be seen walking in the footage. He suddenly stops and a bright light follows, presumably the explosion. Bodies can be seen lying on the ground.

Ali Yerlikaya, the governor of the city confirmed that there have been six fatalities as well as another 53 people injured. A large operation is currently underway involving the emergency services to attend to injured members of the public

In a tweet, he wrote: “Unfortunately, in the explosion that took place on Istiklal Street today, the number of dead increased to 6 and the number of injured to 53. 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”.

Bugün İstiklal Caddesi'nde meydana gelen patlamada maalesef ölü sayımız 6’ya, yaralı sayımız 53’e yükseldi.

Hayatını kaybedenlere Allah'tan rahmet, yaralılara acil şifalar diliyoruz.

Gelişmeler kamuoyuyla paylaşılacaktır

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) November 13, 2022

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted: “I wish God’s mercy on our brothers who died in the bomb attack on Istiklal Street, patience for their relatives, and a speedy recovery to our wounded. Get well soon to our country, our nation, our Istanbul”.

İstiklal Caddesi’nde meydana gelen bombalı saldırıda vefat eden kardeşlerimize Allah’tan rahmet, yakınlarına sabır, yaralılarımıza acil şifalar diliyorum.

Ülkemize, milletimize, İstanbul’umuza geçmiş olsun.

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) November 13, 2022

#BreakingNews #BREAKING
An explosion in Taksim Sqaure, #Istanbul. Possible bomb attack, bodies seen lying on the ground by eyewitnesses pic.twitter.com/goFojhAkqK

— RawNews1st (@Raw_News1st) November 13, 2022

🚨#BREAKING: #Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya has confirmed deaths and injuries following an explosion on a busy shopping street in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district. A major emergency operation is currently underway. pic.twitter.com/2hFBYnYCJB

— World Source News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) November 13, 2022

One reputable online news site reported that a court in Istanbul had imposed a broadcast ban on the Istiklal explosion. It added that the prosecutor has also launched an inquiry into the incident. The same site claimed that the internet has been limited in the country to prevent people from watching videos of the incident online.

This is a breaking news story and we will try to keep you updated as more information becomes available, thank you.

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