Still no claim for Ankara attack. Government suspects Kurds

Those believed responsible include TAK, Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, an even more radical branch of the PKK. Doubts shroud Turkey’s geopolitical role in the Middle East chessboard. Erdogan’s rising popularity.

 

Istanbul (AsiaNews) – Hours after last night’s powerful explosion that rocked the center of Ankara, near the National Assembly, there has still be no claim of responsibility. A senior security official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that it was a suicide attack but has yet to be claimed.

Interior Ministry officials speculate that the PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party, which is outlawed) or the radical fringes, such as TAK, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, are behind the attack.  TAK does not agree with attempts at dialogue and openings made by the head of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan.

Yesterday’s powerful explosion falls in nearly a month after a previous bombing in Turkish capital that also caused many deaths and injuries. Again, as then the attackers target was important centers in the Turkish capital, close to institutional settings. Like a month ago, a few hours after the explosion, social networks were blacked-out: an Ankara court immediately ordered a ban on access to Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Observers in the capital express their surprise at the terrorists ability to act despite the draconian security measures taken by the Turkish government after the attack in a month ago. According to these observers, this shows that Erdogan’s Turkey is in great difficulty in managing both the Kurdish question and its geopolitical role in the Middle East scenario, especially regarding the Syrian debate.

At the same time, they note a radical polarization of Turkish society, where a large part supports President Erdogan, believing that the powerful of the earth fear Turkey.

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