Six dead after ‘attack’ on busy Istanbul shopping district, Erdogan says

At least 81 people were injured in the attack. Erdogan, in remarks to reporters on Sunday shortly before departing Turkey for the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, said, “If we say that this is terror it might be wrong, but with the initial developments and with the information that my governor has relayed to us, there is the smell of terror.” He added that there were “initial” reports that a woman fleeing the scene had played some role.

Turkey over the past decade has been a frequent target of attacks carried out by militants from the Islamic State extremist group or Kurdish groups, among others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion Sunday, and the authorities did not name any suspects.

Ali Yerlikaya, the regional governor of Istanbul, said in a message posted on Twitter that the explosion occurred shortly after 4 p.m. local time. It was audible for miles around, in a neighborhood known for tourist attractions and shops that are a magnet for the millions of visitors who have ventured to Istanbul as pandemic fears over travel have begun to subside.

Unverified videos shared on social media footage showed what appeared to be several bodies lying on the ground, on a stretch of Istiklal near Istanbul’s Taksim Square. Ambulances could be seen racing from the scene through throngs of tourists shortly after the explosion. Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, appealed for calm on social media and called on people to assist authorities at the site.

Later Sunday, Turkey’s justice minister, Bekir Bozdag, told local broadcaster A News that prior to the explosion, “a woman was sitting on a bench for 40, 45 minutes” on Istiklal. “After she got up, the explosion took place. Right now all data regarding this woman is being investigated. Her name is not clear yet,” the network quoted him as saying.

Istiklal Avenue, sometimes called Istanbul’s Champs-Élysées, was the site of a suicide bombing in March 2016 that killed five people, including two U.S. nationals, and injured dozens more. Every day of the week, the street is filled with people — Turkish citizens, along with tourists from a multitude of countries — strolling or visiting large chain stores that have outlets on Istiklal, as well as a handful of shopping malls.

The street is populated with vendors selling chestnuts, mussels and simit, a type of bread ring coated with sesame seeds. Musicians perform along the boulevard, drawing listeners. On evenings and weekend days, the crowds are thick.

As condolences streamed in from world leaders later Sunday, Turkish officials began to identify the victims. Derya Yanik, Turkey’s minister of family and social services, said in a message posted on Twitter that the dead included “our colleague” Yusuf Meydan and his daughter Ecrin.

Turkey’s government announced an investigation into the attack, saying eight prosecutors were being assigned to the case. It also responded by forbidding the sharing of information about the explosion, apart from statements by officials.

The country’s radio and television authority announced a “broadcast ban” on coverage of the explosion, according to a message posted on its Twitter account. Another agency, which regulates internet communications, said it was implementing “band reduction” on social media platforms, in the interest of blocking messages “contrary to press ethics and terrorist content,” local media outlets reported.

Timsit reported from London.