Bomb Wounds 22 in Turkey

Suicide Bomb Blasts Turkish Police

VoA News: Police in Turkey are blaming a suicide bomber for an explosion that ripped through a main square in Istanbul, wounding 15 people – police officers and civilians.

Officials said Sunday the bomber targeted an area of Taksim Square where riot police had been gathering in preparation for a possible demonstration.

Istanbul Police Chief Huseyin Capkin said nine of the wounded were police officers, and that two of those hurt were in serious condition.

Video shows Turkish police cordoning off the area hit by the bomb and ambulances rushing to the scene to treat the wounded.

Taksim Square is a major tourist area in the heart of modern Istanbul, with restaurants, shops and hotels. It is also home to the Republic Monument, built in 1928 to commemorate the creation of the Turkish Republic.

There has been no claim of responsibility for Sunday’s attack.

Several groups have carried out bombings in Istanbul in the past, including Islamic extremists and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

The rebels have been fighting for decades for autonomy in Turkey’s Kurdish-dominated southeast, but had recently declared a unilateral cease-fire. Sunday’s bombing comes as the PKK cease-fire is set to expire.