Turkish government suspends security chiefs after bombings
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The Turkish government has suspended Ankara’s police, security and intelligence chiefs after Sunday’s bombings which left 97 dead in the country’s capital.
The attack – which was the worst in Turkey’s modern history – has resulted in widespread criticism of Turkey’s central government.
Two blasts took place outside the city’s central railway station just after ten o’clock on Sunday morning. The two suicide bombers have been identified as Yunus Emre Alagoz and Omar Deniz Dundar. Alagoz was the brother of a man who carried out a bombing which was blamed on IS in the town of Suruc in the south of the country.
The bombings are believed to have targeted activists protesting against violence between government forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Speaking immediately after the attack, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that IS, PKK and other far-left groups were all capable of such an attack. On Monday, he reiterated that IS were the prime suspects.
However, the suspension of government officials is an unusual move, which the Interior Ministry justifies by stating that it will allow for a “robust” investigation.