Six people killed in Istanbul explosion

At least six people were killed and dozens more wounded in an explosion at Istiklal Caddesi pedestrian street, Sunday afternoon, in the center of Istanbul.

Speaking at a news conference shortly after the incident, before leaving for Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the blast and promised to bring the culprits to justice.

Initial observations, he said, indicate that a woman played a role in the blast.

“According to preliminary data, the Istiklal blast has signs of terrorism. Those responsible for what has happened in Istanbul’s Istiklal will be duly punished,” Erdogan stressed.

According to Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya, the blast occurred in the Istikal Caddesi pedestrian street in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district at about 16:20 local time.

The cause of the blast has not yet been identified but the city’s prosecutor’s office considers a terrorist attack as one of the reasons.

The Istiklal Caddesi, a pedestrian street with lots of restaurants, cafes, shops, hotels, and several museums is popular both among the locals and international tourists.