A “terrorist attack” took place near Turkey’s parliament in Ankara on Sunday leaving two police officers injured, the interior ministry said.
The ministry said two attackers arrived in a commercial vehicle around 9:30 am (0630 GMT) “in front of the entrance gate of the General Directorate of Security of our Ministry of the Interior, and carried out a bomb attack.”
ANKARA’DAKİ PATLAMA NEDENİYLE KIZILAY’A GİRİŞLER KAPATILDI. BHA EKİPLERİ OLAY YERİNDE GELİŞMELERİ TAKİP EDİYOR. #ANKARA link #PATLAMA link PİC.TWİTTER.COM/HBP9R2EJTC link
— BIRLIK HABER AJANSI-BHA (@BHANETTR) OCTOBER 1, 2023 link
“One of the terrorists blew himself up and the other was neutralised,” the ministry added on social media, saying two officers received “minor injuries”.
The targeted district is home to several other ministries and the Turkish parliament, which was due to reopen today with an address from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Turkish media.
TV channel NTV reported gunfire in the cordoned-off district, where emergency services were in attendance.
The Ankara prosecutor’s office said it was opening an investigation and banned access to the area.
Nobody immediately claimed the attack. Ankara attacks
Erdogan was set to speak during the opening of this parliamentary session, which must validate Sweden’s entry into the NATO alliance.
Hungary and Turkey in July lifted their vetoes against Sweden’s entry into the Atlantic alliance, but have been slow to ratify its membership.
Erdogan indicated in July that ratification by the Turkish parliament would not take place before October, but it is expected to be approved during this parliamentary year.- APP/AFP