Turkish airport terrorist attack: 13 arrested as country still mourns
Turkey has been at the epicenter of the battle against Islamic State and likeminded Sunni terrorists, suffering more than its share of terrorist attacks in the past year, but the three suicide bombers attacking the airport last week, killing 45, among the worst.
Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president, was quick to claim, not for the first time, that the world is in this battle together, it was everyone’s battle, he said.
“The bombs that went off today could have gone off in any city in the world, in any airport. I want everyone to understand that, to the terrorists, there is no difference between Istanbul and London, Ankara and Berlin, Izmir and Chicago.”
Thirteen suspects, including 10 Turks, were charged on Sunday over the Istanbul airport suicide bombings with Turkish officials blaming the Islamic State.
The suspects, who are in police custody, were charged with belonging to a terror group, homicide and endangering the unity of the state, Dogan reported, without providing the foreigners’ nationalities.
Binali Yildirim, Turkey’s prime minister, gave some new details on the probe, saying police had arrested a total of 29 to date over the attacks, including foreigners.
Officials had previously said the three bombers were a Russian, an Uzbek and a Kyrgyz national.
“Everything will be unveiled in due time,” Mr Yildirim said. “We are carrying out a vast inquiry in this case.”
Istanbul authorities said Sunday that 49 people injured in the attack were still being treated, with 17 in intensive care.
Turkish media have identified the strike’s organizer as Akhmed Chatayev, the Chechen leader of an Islamic State cell in Istanbul who reportedly found accommodation for the bombers.
