Turkey Attack
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserted on Sunday that “terrorists” would never attain their goals, shortly after an explosion near Ankara’s parliament injured two police officers.
A powerful explosion occurred outside the interior ministry, accompanied by substantial flames, audible for several kilometers from the attack site.
The targeted area houses various ministries and the Turkish parliament, which resumed its operations as planned in the afternoon, with President Erdogan addressing the parliament. He stated, “The villains who threaten the peace and security of citizens have not achieved their objectives and will never achieve them.”
The interior ministry reported that two attackers arrived in a commercial vehicle around 9:30 am (0630 GMT) at the entrance gate of the General Directorate of Security of the Ministry of the Interior and carried out a bomb attack.
One terrorist detonated himself, while the other has fatally shot in the head before he could detonate explosives. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that two police officers sustained minor injuries during the exchange of fire, but their lives were not in danger.
The Ankara police headquarters announced on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, that they were conducting “controlled explosions” of “suspicious packages” to prevent additional incidents.
The Ankara prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation and restricted access to the area. Local media was instructed to refrain from broadcasting images from the attack scene. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion.
Erdogan Criticizes EU in Strong Rebuke
Erdogan, later, opened the parliamentary session, criticizing his country’s protracted EU accession wait, expressing that Turkey “no longer expects anything from the European Union, which has kept us waiting at its door for 40 years.”
He remarked, “We have fulfilled all our promises to the EU, but they have fulfilled almost none of theirs,” and added that he would not “accept any new demands or conditions” for Turkey’s entry into the bloc.
This parliamentary session must also approve Sweden’s NATO membership, which had faced delays due to Hungary and Turkey lifting their vetoes in July.
Erdogan had indicated in July that the Turkish parliament’s ratification would not occur before October, but it is anticipated to receive approval during this parliamentary session.
Erdogan had been exerting pressure on Sweden for months to address Quran desecrations that strained bilateral relations.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson promptly reaffirmed his country’s commitment to long-term cooperation with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.
Numerous foreign leaders, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and the US embassy in Ankara, expressed support for Turkey after the attack.
The Turkish capital, Ankara, witnessed several attacks, particularly in 2015 and 2016, with many attributed to the outlawed separatist group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), or the Islamic State group.
The most recent bombing in Turkey occurred on a shopping street in Istanbul in November 2022, claiming six lives and injuring 81 people. Although no group claimed responsibility, Turkey accused the outlawed PKK of being behind the attack and detained 46 individuals, including a Syrian woman suspected of planting the device.
