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Warning: The video in this article shows the moment a bomb explodes at the peace rally killing at least 86 people and injuring over 180. Contains distressing scenes
Video: Turkey bomb 'massacre' kills 30 and injures over 100 at pro-Kurdish peace rally - Telegraph
Turkey bomb massacre kills 86 and injures over 180 at pro-Kurdish peace rally
A double attack believed to be the work of suicide bombers on a march in the Turkish capital Ankara yesterday killed 86 people and injured more than 180 others in the worst terrorist outrage in the country’s modern history.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which was captured in dramatic video footage taken by a cameraman filming the start of the demonstration. A group of young activists doing a traditional Turkish dance flinch and duck as an sheet of orange flame punctures the sky behind them.
They had been setting off on a protest backed by the pro-Kurdish HDP political party and leftist secular groups calling for the government to make peace with the Kurdish guerrilla group, the PKK.
One of the men who can be seen in the video, Goksel Ilgin, told The Sunday Telegraph how the massive blast erupted right behind him.
“We started dancing the ‘halay’ dance as we were cheerful and determined to promote peace,” said Mr Goksin, who can be seen at the far right of the picture wearing a blue cardigan and jeans. “Then we heard a sudden blast about 15 metres behind us.
"After the explosion I was overcome by shock. I fell on my knees, and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Then 15 seconds later there was a second blast. We saw flags and pieces of bodies flying into the air.
"People were injured and running around unconsciously. It took ten to fifteen minutes for someone to slap me to get over the shock. She told me to walk fast and scream. I did and started to feel better.
"But I will never forget the smell of burned human flesh. Even after I left the scene, I couldn't help feeling it. So my friends made me smell some flowers and perfume to stop it. It took a few hours to smell the air again. I am OK now but I will never forget it."
Despite the lack of claim, the most likely culprits were widely considered to be local recruits of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). The PKK’s Syrian offshoot, the YPG, are fighting a bitter war against Isil under the cover of US-led coalition jets, and the jihadists conducted a similar attack which killed 32 people in the town of Suruc on the Turkey-Syria border in July.
Many Kurds believe that the Islamist AKP government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has encouraged Isil as part of his own political ambitions for Syria, as well as out of hostility to the PKK/YPG.
The HDP’s charismatic leader, Selahattin Demirtas, went so far as to suggest the government was implicated in the bombing.
"We are faced with a huge massacre. A barbaric attack has been committed," he said.
"We are faced with a murderous state which has turned into a mafia and a state mentality which acts like a serial killer."
Protesters at the scene shouted "Murderer Erdogan" and "the murderer AKP will give account" even as the injured were being taken away.
The rally, under the slogan "Work, Peace and Democracy", was organised by a number of trade unions as well as the HDP, near Ankara railway station.
Posters bearing the motto were seen plastering the bodies of the bed which lay strewn across the square. Some of the bodies were covered quickly with the distinctive yellow flag of the HDP and other banners.
The health minister, Mehmet Muezzinoglu, said 62 people had died at the scene and 24 people in hospital from their injuries. He added that 28 of the 186 injured were in a serious condition.
"We heard one huge blast and then one smaller explosion and then there was a a great movement and panic. Then we saw corpses around the station," said one witness, Ahmet Onen.
"A demonstration that was to promote peace has turned into a massacre - I don't understand this," he added, in floods of tears.
Mr Ilgin said: “People were running around hardly conscious in the huge panic. As the initial shock subsided, we rushed to help people lying on the ground.”
The Turkish government itself said not only Isil but pro-Kurdish or leftist groups could have carried out the attack, though it did not speculate on what the motives could be.
"Like other terror attacks, the one at the Ankara train station targets our unity, togetherness, brotherhood and future," Mr Erdogan said. He cancelled a planned visit to Turkmenistan.
The attacks however show the way in which Turkey’s involvement in the war in neighbouring Syria, where it supports the overthrow of the Assad regime and has allowed opposition groups to ferry weapons across the border, has had repercussions at home.
Some of that is due to the revived conflict with the PKK, which with the government had observed a three-year ceasefire.
The attack happened as the PKK said it was about to begin another, unilateral ceasefire, stopping its campaign of attacks on soldiers and police which has revived fears of the all-out war that mired the south-east of the country in violence in the Eighties and Nineties.
A statement issued after the explosions confirmed that that ceasefire would be implemented.
It said it depended on there being no attacks on them in the interim, and would hold until elections planned for next month.
“Or guerrilla forces will avoid conducting planned actions, will be engaged in no activities apart from maintaining its current position, and make no attempts to hinder or harm the exercise of a fair and equal election,” it said.
The elections are crucial for the future of the ruling AKP, a moderate Islamist party, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. If the HDP win ten per cent of the vote, it will repeat its feat in June elections which led to a stalemate by winning seats in parliament and most probably preventing the AKP winning a majority.
It will almost certainly stop AKP pushing through constitutional changes that would hand more powers to Mr Erdogan.
Video: Turkey bomb 'massacre' kills 30 and injures over 100 at pro-Kurdish peace rally - Telegraph
Turkey bomb massacre kills 86 and injures over 180 at pro-Kurdish peace rally
A double attack believed to be the work of suicide bombers on a march in the Turkish capital Ankara yesterday killed 86 people and injured more than 180 others in the worst terrorist outrage in the country’s modern history.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which was captured in dramatic video footage taken by a cameraman filming the start of the demonstration. A group of young activists doing a traditional Turkish dance flinch and duck as an sheet of orange flame punctures the sky behind them.
They had been setting off on a protest backed by the pro-Kurdish HDP political party and leftist secular groups calling for the government to make peace with the Kurdish guerrilla group, the PKK.
One of the men who can be seen in the video, Goksel Ilgin, told The Sunday Telegraph how the massive blast erupted right behind him.
“We started dancing the ‘halay’ dance as we were cheerful and determined to promote peace,” said Mr Goksin, who can be seen at the far right of the picture wearing a blue cardigan and jeans. “Then we heard a sudden blast about 15 metres behind us.
"After the explosion I was overcome by shock. I fell on my knees, and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Then 15 seconds later there was a second blast. We saw flags and pieces of bodies flying into the air.
"People were injured and running around unconsciously. It took ten to fifteen minutes for someone to slap me to get over the shock. She told me to walk fast and scream. I did and started to feel better.
"But I will never forget the smell of burned human flesh. Even after I left the scene, I couldn't help feeling it. So my friends made me smell some flowers and perfume to stop it. It took a few hours to smell the air again. I am OK now but I will never forget it."
Despite the lack of claim, the most likely culprits were widely considered to be local recruits of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). The PKK’s Syrian offshoot, the YPG, are fighting a bitter war against Isil under the cover of US-led coalition jets, and the jihadists conducted a similar attack which killed 32 people in the town of Suruc on the Turkey-Syria border in July.
Many Kurds believe that the Islamist AKP government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has encouraged Isil as part of his own political ambitions for Syria, as well as out of hostility to the PKK/YPG.
The HDP’s charismatic leader, Selahattin Demirtas, went so far as to suggest the government was implicated in the bombing.
"We are faced with a huge massacre. A barbaric attack has been committed," he said.
"We are faced with a murderous state which has turned into a mafia and a state mentality which acts like a serial killer."
Protesters at the scene shouted "Murderer Erdogan" and "the murderer AKP will give account" even as the injured were being taken away.
The rally, under the slogan "Work, Peace and Democracy", was organised by a number of trade unions as well as the HDP, near Ankara railway station.
Posters bearing the motto were seen plastering the bodies of the bed which lay strewn across the square. Some of the bodies were covered quickly with the distinctive yellow flag of the HDP and other banners.
The health minister, Mehmet Muezzinoglu, said 62 people had died at the scene and 24 people in hospital from their injuries. He added that 28 of the 186 injured were in a serious condition.
"We heard one huge blast and then one smaller explosion and then there was a a great movement and panic. Then we saw corpses around the station," said one witness, Ahmet Onen.
"A demonstration that was to promote peace has turned into a massacre - I don't understand this," he added, in floods of tears.
Mr Ilgin said: “People were running around hardly conscious in the huge panic. As the initial shock subsided, we rushed to help people lying on the ground.”
The Turkish government itself said not only Isil but pro-Kurdish or leftist groups could have carried out the attack, though it did not speculate on what the motives could be.
"Like other terror attacks, the one at the Ankara train station targets our unity, togetherness, brotherhood and future," Mr Erdogan said. He cancelled a planned visit to Turkmenistan.
The attacks however show the way in which Turkey’s involvement in the war in neighbouring Syria, where it supports the overthrow of the Assad regime and has allowed opposition groups to ferry weapons across the border, has had repercussions at home.
Some of that is due to the revived conflict with the PKK, which with the government had observed a three-year ceasefire.
The attack happened as the PKK said it was about to begin another, unilateral ceasefire, stopping its campaign of attacks on soldiers and police which has revived fears of the all-out war that mired the south-east of the country in violence in the Eighties and Nineties.
A statement issued after the explosions confirmed that that ceasefire would be implemented.
It said it depended on there being no attacks on them in the interim, and would hold until elections planned for next month.
“Or guerrilla forces will avoid conducting planned actions, will be engaged in no activities apart from maintaining its current position, and make no attempts to hinder or harm the exercise of a fair and equal election,” it said.
The elections are crucial for the future of the ruling AKP, a moderate Islamist party, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. If the HDP win ten per cent of the vote, it will repeat its feat in June elections which led to a stalemate by winning seats in parliament and most probably preventing the AKP winning a majority.
It will almost certainly stop AKP pushing through constitutional changes that would hand more powers to Mr Erdogan.
.
