PKK likely involved in Kayseri terror attack: deputy PM

By Ilkay Guder

ANKARA

All signs point towards the involvement of the PKK terrorist group in Saturday’s terror attack in central Turkey’s Kayseri province that left several soldiers martyred and dozens others wounded, according to Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus.

“For now, all signs point to PKK, the arrows are pointing in that direction,” Kurtulmus told the private news channel NTV in Istanbul.

Earlier, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 13 soldiers were martyred and 56 others wounded when a suicide car bomb attack targeted a public bus in central Kayseri province on Saturday.

Soylu told the media in Kayseri city that seven suspects had been held in connection with the attack, while the search for five others continues.

Kurtulmus said the attack was very similar to last week’s twin bombings in Istanbul that left 44 people martyred, including 36 police officers, and 155 others wounded.

He described the latest attack in Kayseri as “a revenge” by a terrorist organization.

Referring to the PKK, he added: “It appears that this incident is a revenge attack, which appears to be an effort to rectify their situation in some way.”

In his remarks, Kurtulmus said no terrorist organizations in the world including PKK and Daesh were alone.

"Behind these terrorist organizations are the various supports of several countries," said Kurtulmus and called for a joint fight against terrorism.

Kurtulmus said a few condemnations in the wake of terror attacks were not enough for Turkey and added: "It is now necessary to fight against these terrorist organizations on a common ground with Turkey."

"We need an understanding that curses all kinds of terror. In this sense, we are ready to share information, documents, [and] intelligence," said the deputy prime minister.

Referring to Istanbul’s last week attacks, Kurtulmus said the bombs used were fabricated and estimated to be originated from the inventory of some countries.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. More than 300 civilians and about 850 security personnel since have been martyred. More than 9,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended.

The TAK (Kurdistan Freedom Falcons), a sub-unit of PKK terrorist organization, had claimed responsibility for the Dec. 12 Istanbul bombings. It has carried out terror attacks in major cities and touristic areas, targeting civilians and the security forces.