istanbul bombing november 13, 2022 what happened

A massive explosion hit the center of Istanbul, Turkey at around 4:20 p.m. local time (2:20 p.m. in Italy) on November 13. At least 6 people died and 81 were injured. The police are investigating for terrorism, while the hypothesis of a suicide bombing is gaining ground.

For the moment, that of 6 dead and 81 injured is only a provisional assessment which could worsen. That of Istanbul was a “cowardly attack”, declared Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Our nation must be sure that those responsible for the situation in Istiklal will be punished as they deserve,” Erdogan said, according to reports from Turkey’s Anadolu news agency. The Turkish president spoke of “the role of a woman in this situation”. But he did not add any other information. However, it is thought to possibly have been a suicide attack, in which a woman blew herself up in the crowd in the shopping street.

Photo Twitter @Ettore_Rosato

The explosion occurred in Istiklal Caddesi, in the Taksim district on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey’s iconic metropolis, on the Bosphorus Strait, between Europe and Asia. The cause of the attack is not yet clear but, as mentioned, the authorities in Ankara do not exclude the terrorist track. Police are reportedly analyzing security camera footage to determine where the assailants placed a bag full of explosives. However, the hypothesis of a suicide attack by a woman who died in the explosion seems to be taking shape.

“Istanbul, no Italians involved”

In the videos broadcast on social networks – some taken by surveillance cameras – we can see the moment of the explosion in the pedestrian street Istiklal, which took place in the middle of passers-by. Shortly after, footage shows the bloodied bodies of the victims on the ground. “Terrible images of Istanbul. Italy expresses its closeness to the Turkish government and people,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on Twitter. Our country expresses “its sincere condolences to the innocent victims. Our crisis unit is monitoring the situation and contacting our compatriots”. In any case, according to Tajani, so far no Italians have been killed or injured in the attack.

Photo Ansa / Epa Erdem Sahin

The attacks in Turkey

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed her closeness to Turkey. “The images of Istanbul are terrible, I want to express our deepest condolences to Turkey for the attack suffered and the death of innocent citizens”. “Horrible news from Istanbul tonight. Condolences to the victims of the explosion,” EU Council President Charles Michel wrote in a tweet. the Turkish people in this time of great pain.” Turkey was the scene of a series of bloody attacks between 2015 and 2017, by Isis and other terrorist groups. The memory of this period immediately made us to think that a bomb or a suicide bomber could have caused the explosion of Istanbul.

Photo Ansa / Epa Stringer