2007 Ankara bombing

Infobox terrorist attack
title=2007 Ankara suicide bombing


caption=
location=Ankara, Turkey
target=Shopping Centre
date=May 22 2007
time-begin=17:20 am
time-end=? am
timezone=UTC+2
type=Suicide Bombing
fatalities= 9citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6634397.asp?gid=180|title=Bombalı saldırıda sürpriz tanık|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-06-02] citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6664347.asp?f=1|title=Anafartalar saldırısında ölü sayısı 7'ye yükseldi|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-06-08] citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6735399.asp?gid=180|title=8’inci kurban|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-06-19] citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6830669.asp?gid=180|title=Anafartalar'da ölü sayısı 9'a çıktı|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-07-04]
injuries= 121
perps= Güven Akkuş
Status=The 2007 Ankara bombing was a suicide attack that occurred in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, on 22 May 2007. Six people were reported killed, including one of Pakistani origin, and 121 people were wounded. [citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6566395.asp?gid=180|title=Vali açıkladı: Canlı bomba|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-23] [citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6561501.asp?gid=180|title=Ankara'da patlama FLAŞ|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-22] [citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6561613.asp?gid=180|title=Görgü tanığı: 10 ölü var|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-22] A seventh person died from his injuries on 7 June and another on 17 June raising the death toll to eight. A ninth person died on 4 July from his injuries.

The attack

The explosion occurred outside a shopping centre in the Ulus quarter of Ankara. The police reports suggested a "suicide bombing". [citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6681547.stm|title=Explosion rocks Turkish capital|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-05-22] A type A4 bomb has been reported as being the cause of the explosion and the "Terror and Organised Crime Unit" ( _tr. Terör ve Organize Suçlar) has taken over the investigation. [citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6561880.asp?gid=180|title=Bombanın cinsi A4|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-22] The explosion shattered windows of the shopping centre and of nearby buildings creating havoc. [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4825650.html] The Ankara bombing came as more than 35 world leaders, including the U.S. President, are in Istanbul for a NATO summit that began on Monday, which leaves tensions high as numerous other incidents have occurred in the run-up to the meeting. [ [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425822/433242 Explosion in Ankara not a bomb | WORLD | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz ] ] It also heightens political tensions between the secular and non-secular parties of Turkey, as both fight for public support and leadership of the nation. [ [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L22619461.htm Reuters AlertNet - Bomb in Turkish capital kills six, injures 80 ] ] The timing of the bombing raised assassination suspicions since General Yaşar Büyükanıt (Chief of the General Staff), General İlker Başbuğ (Commander of the Army), General Işık Koşaner (Commander of the Gendarmerie), General Faruk Cömert (Commander of the Air Force), Admiral Yener Karahanoğlu (Commander of the Navy) were to attend the IDEF Defense Fair same day held at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum ( _tr. Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi) crossing the blast zone. [citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/6563488.asp?gid=180|title=Korkunç şüphe: Hedef Komutan mıydı?|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-05-23]

Suicide bomber was later identified as Güven Akkuş. Circumstances surrounding how Akkuş's explosives detonated remains unclear. The police has three competing theories:
#While moving towards the target suicide bomber Akkuş panicked when a squad car coincidentally stopped in front of him.
#Type A-4 explosives are sensitive to body temperature so it is possible that the explosives self-detonated while Akkuş and a collaborator only identified by her code name "Ayşe"
#Collaborator "Ayşe" detonated Akkuş's explosives remotely when Akkuş panicked.

Collaborator "Ayşe" is known to have visited a hospital briefly after the bombing and is currently at large. [citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ucuncusayfa/6627772.asp?gid=205|title=Polis, Ayşe'nin peşinde!|publisher=Hürriyet|language=Turkish|accessdate=2007-06-02]

References