Ankara Explosion: At Least 32 People Killed in Guven Park

At least 32 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after a car bomb exploded in Ankara, Turkey’s health ministry has said.

The explosion happened in Guven Park in the Kizilay district, a key transport hub and commercial area.

Other vehicles at the scene were reduced to burnt-out wrecks, including at least one bus.

Last month, a bomb attack on a military convoy in Ankara killed 28 people and wounded dozens more.

According to the Hurriyet newspaper, the latest blast happened at about 18:40 local time and the area was evacuated in case of a second attack. Many ambulances were at the scene, it added.

No group has yet claimed the attack. However, a security official told Reuters news agency that initial findings suggested it was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or an affiliated group.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said terror groups were targeting civilians because they were losing their struggle against Turkish security forces.

Recep tayyip Erdogan said such attacks “increase our determination to fight terrorism”.

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu told a news conference that 30 people were killed at the scene and four died later in hospital, however two of the dead are believed to be the attackers. He said 125 people were being treated at several hospitals in Ankara, of whom 19 are in a critical condition.

Interior Minister Efkan Ala said the investigation would be concluded on March 14 and those behind the bombing would be named.

The ministers were speaking after an emergency security meeting called by PM Ahmet Davutoglu.

Turkey, which was the stable corner of the Middle East and the West’s crucial ally in a volatile region, is now at a dangerous moment, the prime minister adds.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the US embassy in Ankara warned its citizens on March 11 of a “potential terrorist plot” in the city.

Last month’s bombing was claimed by a Kurdish militant group, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK). It said on its website that the attack was in retaliation for the policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey, however, blamed a Syrian national who was a member of another Kurdish group.