The Turkish government says two Kurdish terrorist organizations are behind yesterday’s horrific attack in Ankara. Those attacks killed 28 people and wounded 61 more.
Speaking today, Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that a Syrian national with links to these Kurdish organizations — the PKK and the YPG (which is active in Syria) — carried out the suicide bombing. Davutoğlu identified him as Sahih Neccar and explained that he carried out the operation with help from the PKK, a Kurdish Marxist-Leninist group dubbed a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and Europe. The prime minister added that another individual was also present when the attack occurred, who is believed to be a member of the PKK. So far, 14 individuals have been arrested on suspicion of involvement.
Davutoğlu explained in his press conference:
It has been determined with certainty that this attack was carried out by members of the separatist terror organization together with a member of the YPG who infiltrated from Syria.
President Erdoğan, who is Turkey’s true leader, also weighed in. Although the YPG — the Syrian branch of the PKK — denies any involvement in the attack, Erdogan has no doubt that they were behind it:
Despite the fact that their leader says they have nothing to do with this, the information and documents obtained by our Interior Ministry and all our intelligence organizations shows that (the attack) was theirs.
The modus operandi of the attack immediately pointed in the direction of the PKK/YPG. Although ISIS has carried out several terrorist attacks and assassinations in Turkey in the last few months, the Islamic extremists usually target civilians, whereas the Kurdish nationalists normally opt for military targets. Yesterday’s attack was primarily aimed at military vehicles.
Turkey wasted no time responding to the attack. Overnight the Turkish army has carried out several airstrikes against PKK targets in Syria and Iraq:
Turkish warplanes carried out airstrikes on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camps in northern Iraq late on Wednesday, according to security sources. Senior commanders were believed to be among up to 70 people hit in the Zap, Avasin and Haftanin camps.
Chances are that the war between Turkey and the PKK/YPG will be stepped up in the coming hours and days. Turkey has taken on both groups for weeks now, but knowing Erdoğan, that’s just child’s play compared to the vengeance to come.
