Turkish police arrest Syrian woman over bomb attack

Turkey said yesterday it had arrested 46 people, including the perpetrator, in relation to the deadly bomb attack in central Istanbul at the weekend, which left six people dead.

- BORZOU DARAGAHI

Photos and video posted by Turkish media showed police storming an apartment where they held a Syrian woman named Ahlam Albashir, whom they claimed had left an explosives-filled bag on a bench along Istiklal Street, a mile-long pedestrian avenue filled with shops, cultural sites, and diplomatic outposts. Photos showed police grabbing Ms Albashir, who was dressed in a purple hoodie emblazoned with the words "New York", and taking her into custody.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. But Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu blamed Syria-based Kurdish militant groups, which issued statements strenuously denying responsibility for the attack. The bombing killed six Turkish citizens, including a father and his three-year-old daughter. It shocked the nation and dominated headlines and news broadcasts.

Yesterday morning, passers-by left red carnations at the site of the bombing in remembrance of the dead and their families. "We will retaliate against those who are responsible for this heinous terror attack," Mr Soylu said, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. Istiklal Street is one of the most heavily surveilled places in Turkey, under the scrutiny of a wide network of private and government security cameras. It is constantly patrolled by plainclothes informants and officers, as well as by conspicuous contingents of heavily armed police.