3/20/2016

March2016IstanbulbombingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Coordinates:4126N285852E

March2016Istanbulbombing
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

On19March2016,asuicidebombingtookplacein
Istanbul'sBeyoludistrict,infrontofthedistrict
governor'soffice.Theattackoccurredat10:55(EET)
attheintersectionofBaloStreetwithstiklal
Avenue,[3]acentralshoppingstreet,[4]causingatleast
fivedeaths,[5]includingthatoftheperpetrator.36
peoplewereinjured,includingsevenwhoseinjuries
wereheavy.[3][4]Amongthoseinjuredweretwelve
foreigntourists.[4]Amongthosekilled,twowereof
dualIsraelUSnationality.[6]

March2016Istanbulbombing

DemirrenAVMonstiklalAvenue,
nearwhichthebombingtookplace.
Location

stiklalAvenue,Taksim,Istanbul

Coordinates

4126N285852E

Date

19March2016
~10:55AM(UTC+2)

Target

Civilians

Attacktype

Suicidebombing

2.1 Victims

Deaths

5(includingtheperpetrator)

2.2 Perpetrator

Nonfatal
injuries

36

Perpetrator

Mehmetztrk[1][2]

Assailants

IslamicStateofIraqandthe
Levant

Contents
1 Background
2 Attack

3 Reactions
3.1 Domestic
3.2 International
4 Seealso
5 References

Background
ThebombingwasthefourthsuicidebombinginTurkeyin2016,[7]andoccurredsixdaysaftera
bombinginAnkarathatleft37peopledead.TheUnitedStatesembassyinAnkarahadissuedaterrorism
warningtoitscitizensthedaybeforethebombingforIstanbul,Ankara,zmirandAdana.TheGerman
embassyhadalsoissuedasecuritywarningtoitscitizensthreedaysbeforethebombing.PrimeMinister
AhmetDavutoluhadcalledthewarnings"normal".[8]Germanyhadalsocloseditsconsulateonthe
avenueonThursdayandFridayasasecuritymeasure.[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2016_Istanbul_bombing

1/5

3/20/2016

March2016IstanbulbombingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AccordingtoBBC,residentsofIstanbulhadalreadybeenvigilantbeforetheattackduetotherecent
explosioninAnkaraandwerewaryofgoingout.[9]Followingthebombing,accordingtoCumhuriyet,
theTurkishgovernmentreceivedheavycriticismonsocialmediafordefectsinsecurity.[8]

Attack
ThebombingtookplaceonstiklalAvenue,ashoppingareapopularwithtouristsandconsideredthe
busiestavenueinTurkey.[4][10]However,thebombingtookplaceatatimewhentheavenuewas
relativelyquiet.[5]Thesiteofdetonationwasafewhundredmetresawayfromaplacewherepolice
busesareusuallyparked.[7]Accordingtoaneyewitness,thebomberdetonatedthebombwhilstpassing
byagroupoftourists.[3]Hundredsofpeoplereportedlyranawayfromthesiteofattackinpanicafter
theexplosion.[11]Nailsandsmallpiecesofmetalwerereportedlyscatteredintheareaduetothe
attack.[12]Followingthebombing,theavenuewasclosedofftothepublic.[10]AccordingtoaCNNTrk
reporteronthescene,thesuicideattackerwasonhiswaytotheactualtargetwhenthebombwentoffin
frontofarestaurant.[13]AccordingtoaTurkishofficialcitedbyReuters,thebomberwas"deterred"
fromhisorheractualtargetbythepoliceandsetoffthebomb"outoffear".Initialfindingspointedto
Kurdishperpetrators.[14]

Victims
AccordingtoHrriyet,threeofthevictimskilledwereIsraeliandonewasIranian.[3]Oneofthevictims
thatdiedintheexplosionwasachild.Twoofthetouristsinjuredwerealsochildren.[12]

Nationality

Victimsbynationality[15]
Deaths
Wounded

Total

Ref.
[15]

Turkey

24

25

Israel

[3][15][16]

USA

[16]

Iran

[3][15]

Ireland

[15]

Germany

[15]

Iceland

[15]

UnitedArabEmirates

[15]

4[note1]

36

41

Total

1.Twovictimsholdadualcitizenshipthusbeingcountedtwiceinthepercountryfigurebutonlyonceinthe
totals.

IsraeliauthoritiesidentifiedthethreeIsraelivictimsasthe40yearsoldYonatanSuherfromTelAviv,
60yearsoldSimchaDimrifromDimonaand69yearsoldAvrahamGoldmanfromRamatHasharon.[16]

Perpetrator
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2016_Istanbul_bombing

2/5

3/20/2016

March2016IstanbulbombingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

WhiletheauthoritieswerequicktoblametheKurdistanWorkers'Party(PKK),[14]onlyuponfurther
investigationintheafternoon,theTurkishauthoritieschangedtheirinitialassessment,nowinstead
holdingtheIslamicStateofIraqandtheLevant(ISIL)accountable.[17]AccordingtoMilliyet,Turkish
authoritiesneverruledoutISILassuspectsearlyon.Accordingtothenewspaper,thefactthattheattack
occurrednearagroupoftouristsindeedsuggestedanISILinvolvement.[18]PKKumbrellaorganization
KCKsaiditopposedtargetingciviliansandcondemnedattacksonthem.[19]
Thenextday,TurkishauthoritiesannouncedthatMehmetztrkwasreliablyidentifiedbyDNAtests
tobethesuicidebomberoftheIstanbulattack.Born1992inGaziantepProvinceandthoughttobe
affiliatedwithISIL,[1][2]hewasoneoftwoTurkishsuspectstheauthoritieswereinvestigating.Theday
before,Sabahhadnamedzturkand33yearsoldISILmilitantSavaYldzfromAdana,[20][21]whois
alsothoughttobeinvolvedintheOctober2015Ankarabombingskillingmorethan100civilians.Inthe
night,authoritiesarrestedYldz'parents.[17][22]

Reactions
Domestic
Followingtheattack,ameetingheadedbyPrimeMinisterDavutoluconvenedinDolmabahe
Palacefor"evaluation".[23]
RTK,theTurkishboardthatregulatesradiosandTVchannels,issuedabanonbroadcasting
imagesfromthesceneofattack.[24]
KomaCivakenKurdistanannouncedthattheyareagainstthetargetingofcivilians,and
condemnedattacksthatarecarriedoutinthisway.[25]
SelahattinDemirta,cochairoftheproKurdishPeoples'DemocraticParty(HDP),condemned
theattackandsaid"thegovernmentmayhavegotusedtosuchattacks,butwewillnot".[26]
SelinSayekBke,spokespersonofthemainoppositionRepublicanPeople'sParty(CHP),said
"todayhavediedagain"and"wewillnotgetusedtoterror,terrorwillnotbenormalised".[27]
AnumberofTurkishpeopleexpressedtheirgratitudetoGermanyforwarningabouttheattack,
whichtheyclaimmayhavepreventedmoredeaths,andreactedtothedenialofathreatbyTurkish
authoritiesbyusingthehashtag#DankeSchnDeutschland("ThankyouverymuchGermany"in
German),whichbecametrendinginTurkey,onTwitter.[28]
Vasipahin,governorofIstanbul,claimedinresponsethattheattackwasnotrelatedtothe
warninggivenbytheGermanconsulate.[29]
DeputyPrimeMinisterNumanKurtulmu,inastatementcriticisedbyCumhuriyetas
"scandalous",saidthatthiswas"atestinwhich,thankstoGod,ourcitizensareperformingvery
well".[30]
TurkishofficialremAktawasreportedlyfiredaftertweetingthatshewisheddeathuponthe
Israelitouristsinjuredinthesuicidebombing.[31][32]

International
France:JeanMarcAyrault,France'sForeignMinister,condemnedthebombing,saying"Istrongly
condemnthisdespicableandcowardlyactthathascausedthedeathofseveralpeople,"whileaddingthat
ParisstoodinsolidaritywithTurkey.[33]
Greece:TheGreekForeignMinistrycondemnedtheattack,releasingastatementsaying,"Greece
unequivocallycondemnsterrorism,whateveritssource.WeexpressoursolidaritywiththeTurkish
peopleandthedeepcondolencesoftheGreekpeopleandtheGreekgovernmenttothevictims'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2016_Istanbul_bombing

3/5

3/20/2016

March2016IstanbulbombingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

families".[34]
Iran:MohammadJavadZarif,ForeignMinisterofIran,condemnedthebombingandcalledit
"inhumane".[35]
Pakistan:PakistanstronglycondemnedthesuicideblastinIstanbulthatkilledfiveandinjuredmany
others.InaForeignOfficestatement:Pakistancondemnsthisterroristactinthestrongesttermsand
reiteratesitscondemnationofterrorisminallitsformsandmanifestations.[36]
UnitedStates:TheUnitedStatescondemnedtheterroristattackthroughastatementreleasedby
JohnKirby,spokespersonfortheUnitedStatesDepartmentofState,"TheUnitedStatesstrongly
condemnstheterroristattacktodayonIstanbul'sIstiklalAvenue.Weextendourdeepestcondolencesto
thefamiliesofthosekilledandourhopesforaquickrecoveryforthosewounded",thestatement
said.[37]
UnitedNations:SecretaryGeneralBanKimoonhascondemnedbombingandcalledforthe
perpetratorstobebroughttojustice,consistentwithhumanrightsobligations.[38]

Seealso
2015Ankarabombings
January2016Istanbulbombing
February2016Ankarabombing
March2016Ankarabombing
ListofIslamistterroristattacks
Listofterroristincidents,JanuaryJune2016

References
1."IstanbulBomberIdentifiedasMilitantWithLinkstoIS".NewYorkTimes.AP.20March2016.Retrieved
20March2016.
2."Istanbulbomberidentified".AnadoluAgency.20March2016.Retrieved20March2016.
3."SONDAKKA:stanbulstiklalCaddesi'ndepatlamameydanageldi".Hrriyet.Retrieved19March2016.
4."stiklalCaddesi'ndecanlbombasaldrs5kiild,3'ar36yaralvar!".T24.Retrieved19March
2016.
5."Istanbulexplosion:AtleastfivedeadastouristshoppingareaIstiklalStreethitbysuicidebombingin
Turkey".TheIndependent.Retrieved19March2016.
6."IsraeliauthoritiesconfirmtwofatalitiesfromIstanbulbombingweredualUSIsraelicitizens".The
JerusalemPost.20March2016.Retrieved20March2016.
7."Fivekilled,36woundedinsuicidebombingincentralIstanbul".Reuters.Retrieved19March2016.
8."Herkespatlamaolacanbiliyordu,nlenemedi".Cumhuriyet.Retrieved19March2016.
9."Istanbulshoppingareahitbysuicidebomber".BBC.Retrieved19March2016.
10."stiklalCaddesi'ndecanlbombasaldrs:5l,7'siar36yaral".Cumhuriyet.Retrieved19March2016.
11."Istanbulbombing:AtleastfivekilledinTurkishcity".AlJazeera.Retrieved19March2016.
12."Taksim'decanlbombasaldrs!".Posta.Retrieved19March2016.
13."LOCALFivekilled,atleast20injuredinsuicideattackincentralIstanbul".Retrieved20160319.
14."InitialfindingsshowKurdishmilitantsbehindIstanbulattackTurkishofficial".Reuters.Retrieved
19March2016.
15."AttackonIstiklalAvenue,5dead,36wounded".Sendika10.19March2016.
16."AvrahamGoldman,YonatanSuherandSimchaDimrinamedasIsraelivictimskilledinIstanbulblast".
JerusalemPost.20March2016.Retrieved20March2016.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2016_Istanbul_bombing

4/5

3/20/2016

March2016IstanbulbombingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

17."AllegedTurkishterroristsuspectedofpreviousattacks,Syrianconnection".YediothAhronoth.20March
2016.Retrieved20March2016.
18."stiklalCaddesi'ndecanlbombasaldrs!".Retrieved19March2016.
19."Suicidebomberkillsfour,wounds36inIstanbulshoppingdistrict".Retrieved19March2016."The
KurdishrootedoppositionPeoples'DemocraticParty(HDP)condemnedthebombing.ThePKK'sumbrella
groupsaiditopposedtargetingciviliansandcondemnedattacksonthem."
20." 'Canlbomba'phelileriiinDNArneialnd".Sabah(inTurkish).19March2016.Retrieved19March
2016.
21."ddiadoruysa,stiklal'dekicanlbombannyeilkartbilevar!".Cumhuriyet(inTurkish).19March2016.
Retrieved19March2016.
22."SuspectedIstanbulbomberAsaidISISterroristknowntoTurkishauthorities".JerusalemPost.Retrieved
20March2016.
23."Dolmabahe'dekikritiktoplantsonaerdi".Cumhuriyet.Retrieved19March2016.
24."BoardordersbroadcastbanafterIstanbulsuicideblast".AnadoluAgency.Retrieved19March2016.
25."KCKcondemnsattackstargetingcivilians".Retrieved19March2016.
26."Demirta'tanbombalsaldriinaklama:Almayacaz".Cumhuriyet.Retrieved19March2016.
27."CHP'denstiklalCaddesi'ndekisaldryailktepki".Cumhuriyet.Retrieved19March2016.
28."stiklal'dekipatlamasonrasTwitterkullanclar:TeekkrlerAlmanya".Cumhuriyet.Retrieved19March
2016.
29."Valiahin:Saldrnnkonsoloslukuyarsylailgiliyok".Hrriyet.Retrieved19March2016.
30."NumanKurtulmu'tanskandalszler:Milletimizgzelbirsnavveriyor".Cumhuriyet.Retrieved19March
2016.
31."TurkishofficialfiredafterwishingdeathonIsraelishurtinbombing".TheTimesofIsrael.Retrieved
20160319.
32."TurkishIslamistpartyofficialfiredforcontroversialantiIsraeltweet".JerusalemPost.Retrieved19March
2016.
33."FrancesaysIstanbulattack'despicableandcowardly' ".Retrieved20160319.
34."GreececondemnsterroristattackinIstanbul,voicessolidaritywithTurkishpeople".Retrieved20160319.
35."IranFMcondemns'inhumane'bombblastinTurkey'sIstanbul".PressTV.Retrieved19March2016.
36."PakistancondemnsTurkeyblasts".www.thenews.com.pk.Retrieved20160319.
37."InternationalcommunitycondemnsIstanbulterrorattackoncivilians".Retrieved20160319.
38.Section,UnitedNationsNewsService(20160319)."UNNewsUNchiefcondemnsdeadlyIstanbulattack
as'appallingviolence' ".UNNewsServiceSection.Retrieved20160320.

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=March_2016_Istanbul_bombing&oldid=711056260"
Categories: 21stcenturyinIstanbul Massmurderin2016 MassmurderinTurkey
SuicidebombingsinIstanbul Filmedsuicidebombings ISILterroristincidentsinTurkey
TerroristincidentsinTurkeyin2016
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon20March2016,at18:13.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionalterms
mayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
registeredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2016_Istanbul_bombing

5/5