2015 Ankara bombings

At a glance

Dates: From 2015-10-10.

Place: Ankara railway station, Turkey.

Type: mass murder, suicide attack, and bomb attack.

Deaths reported: 95. Casualties: 400.

What came before

Background Following a suicide bombing in Suruç that killed 33 people on 20 July 2015, the Turkish Armed Forces have been fighting both the Islamic State and a renewed PKK rebellion of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The resumption of the conflict with the PKK resulted in an end to the peace process between Turkey and the PKK , alongside a ceasefire in place since 2012. With airstrikes initially targeting both the PKK and ISIL,

Who was involved

Perpetrators Initial speculation The Ankara Attorney General stated that they were investigating the possibility of twin suicide bombings. [ 1 ] It was observed that an anonymous Twitter account had claimed that an explosion could take place in Ankara just one day before the attack actually happened. [ 2 ] The lack of any immediate statement from any known non-state perpetrator taking responsibility for the attack resulted in speculation over the possible perpetrators.

What happened

Reactions Domestic reactions A protest by Turks living in the Netherlands Political The site of the attack Flowers at the site The victims' names President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the bombings and vowed that the Turkish people will stand in "unity and solidarity" following the "heinous attack". He also stated that Turkey would not give in to efforts to sow division in society. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] He encouraged everyone to take responsibility and act with good intentions,

Aftermath Following the attack, three days of national mourning were declared by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. [ 1 ] Election campaigns With the bombing occurring during the election campaigns for the November 2015 general election , various parties abandoned their scheduled rallies. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) cancelled their planned election programme for three days after the attack. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The Republican People's Party (CHP) also cancelled their daily programme,

On 10 October 2015 at 10:04 local time (EEST) in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, two bombs were detonated outside Ankara Central railway station. With a death toll of 109 civilians, the attack surpassed the 2013 Reyhanlı bombings as the deadliest terror attack in Turkish history. Another 500 people were injured. Censorship monitoring group Turkey Blocks identified nationwide slowing of social media services in the aftermath of the blasts,