TAK says bombing revenge on Turkey, warns tourists
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Friday, Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), an allegedly break-away faction of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), claimed responsibility for the Tuesday explosion at Istanbul that killed 11 and wounded 28.
A statement published in Turkish, dated June 10 on the official website of TAK, said that the action was in response to the Turkish raids on the Kurdish areas and mass killing of civilians.
“Our fighter Rojhat Monzur was martyred in the attack that was meant to avenge the bloodshed in Nusaybin, Sirnak, and other Kurdish areas,” the statement said.
“The attack resulted in the death of dozens of Turkish policemen but the authorities deny their losses,” the statement added.
In its statement, TAK vowed that the attacks will continue unless the Turkish authorities stop their crimes and destruction in the southeast against the Kurdish civilians.
Addressing the foreign tourists who are planning to visit Turkey this summer, the TAK statement said that tourists are not their targets, but the attractions will be targeted since they are financial sources for the Turkish authorities.
“Tourism is one of the most important sources that feeds the dirty war, so it is one of the first targets that we will attack. We warn the foreign and native tourist not to go to the tourist attractions in Turkey,” TAK statement said.
“Turkey is not a secure country and never will be until Turkey stops its crimes,” the statement added.
On Tuesday, a car bomb targeted a police vehicle in the Beyazit Vezneciler district of the city, killing 7 civilians and 4 policemen and wounding at least 36 people.
The ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish government collapsed last July.
This year, a series of suicide bombings hit Turkey, including two in its largest city Istanbul, blamed on IS, and two in the capital Ankara which were claimed by TAK. A series of blasts also occurred in the mainly Kurdish southeastern areas of the country.
Editing by Ava Homa
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