22 injured in Turkey explosion

Istanbul, Turkey  -- At least 22 people were wounded in an apparent suicide bombing in the center of Istanbul on Sunday, police said.

Ten police officers and 12 civilians were wounded in the attack in Taksim Square, police said.

Two of the wounded police officers are in critical condition, Istanbul Police Chief Huseyin Capkin said.

The bustling square houses a commercial district and a major transportation network that includes buses, metro systems and taxis. Visitors throng the area, which is typically patrolled by lots of officers.

Capkin said it appeared that a male suicide bomber caused the explosion. A second unexploded bomb was found near the body of the bomber.

The suspected bomber tried to board a police bus parked in the square, but the explosion happened before he could enter, Capkin said.

Analysts familiar with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as the PKK, told CNN Turk that it is likely PKK was behind the

attack.

But a party spokesman told CNN that he did not know anything about the explosion.

"This blast in Taksim or explosion, I have no idea about it," PKK spokesman Roj Qandil said.

Qandil said the PKK's "unilateral cease-fire" was scheduled to end Sunday, but he said party leader Murat Karayilan told a Turkish journalist several days ago that "we are not going to do any actions against civilians anymore."

(source:cnn.com)

Explosion in Istanbul,injured at least 15 people

A suspected suicide bomber injured at least 15 people in Istanbul's central Taksim Square on Sunday, Turkish media reported.

Sunday, 31 October 2010 12:01

An explosion occurred in Istanbul's Taksim Squake on Sunday morning.

Istanbul Police Chief Huseyin Capkin said that 15 people including 9 policemen and 6 civilians were injured in the explosion which occurred at a spot where police officers were waiting at around 10:30 a.m.

The injured people were rushed to nearby hospitals.

Meanwhile, security forces found a body at the scene.

Capkin said that an investigation was under way to determine whether the explosion caused by a suicide bomber.

The scene of the attack was cordoned off and tight security measures were taken.

Turkey

Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey (About this sound Türkiye Cumhuriyeti , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between Eastern Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.

Turks began migrating into the area now called Turkey ("land of the Turks") in the eleventh century. The process was greatly accelerated by the Seljuk victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of Manzikert. Several small beyliks and the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol Empire's invasion. Starting from the thirteenth century, the Ottoman beylik united Anatolia and created an empire encompassing much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. After the Ottoman Empire collapsed following its defeat in World War I, parts of it were occupied by the victorious Allies. A cadre of young military officers, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, organized a successful resistance to the Allies; in 1923, they would establish the modern Republic of Turkey with Atatürk as its first president.

Turkey's location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia makes it a country of significant geostrategic importance. The predominant religion in Turkey is Islam with small minorities of Christianity and Judaism. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas which comprise 18% of the population.

Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic, with an ancient cultural heritage. Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE and the G-20 major economies. Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005, having been an associate member of the European Economic Community since 1963 and having reached a customs union agreement in 1995. Turkey has also fostered close cultural, political, economic and industrial relations with the Middle East, the Turkic states of Central Asia and the African countries through membership in organizations such as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and Economic Cooperation Organization. Given its strategic location, large economy and army, Turkey is classified as a regional power.

(source:wikipedia)