Suspect in Istanbul street blast arrested one day after six people were killed: Report

In a bomb strike that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan described as “smelling like terrorism,” six people were killed and 81 others were injured on Sunday when an explosion jolted a popular pedestrian walkway in central Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue.

By Aryan Jakhar On November 14, 2022 09:12 IST

Image Credits: NDTV

The person responsible for the bombing of Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue, a popular pedestrian walkway and tourist destination, has been detained by police, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Monday.

Anadolu Agency announced the arrest early on Monday morning via their Twitter account, citing Minister Soylu.

#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 AGENCY (@anadoluagency) November 14, 2022

According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, four people died at the site and two more died in a hospital as a result of the bomb blast on Sunday. Before leaving for the G-20 conference in Bali, Erdogan claimed the explosion “smells like terrorism” and promised that those responsible will face consequences.

The attack left around 81 people injured. The Islamic State and outlawed Kurdish groups targeted Turkey between 2015 and 2017 with similar deadly bombings.