İstiklal bomb attacker gets multiple life sentences

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court has sentenced the main perpetrator of the deadly bombing on the city's bustling İstiklal Avenue in November 2022 to seven aggravated life sentences and an additional 1,790 years in prison.

The court on April 26 unveiled its decision for Ahlam Albashir, who planted the bomb device on Beyoğlu's İstiklal Avenue on Nov. 13, 2022, resulting in the death of six and injury of 99 people.

The PKK-linked terrorist was among 36 defendants on trial, with 15 in custody, while others were released earlier pending trial.

Alongside the life sentences for various crimes, the court also imposed an additional imprisonment of up to 1,794 years and a fine of 22,000 Turkish Liras on the perpetrator.

During the final hearing, Albashir declared her refusal to defend herself or contest any of the sentences, reiterating her previous claims of experiencing pressure of conscience due to the deceased victims.

However, she noted that some of the defendants had no involvement in the incident and she was only a guest in their homes at the time of the event. One day after the blast, the perpetrator was apprehended in a residence in the Küçükçekmece district, with other residents of the house also taken into custody.

In the previous hearing, Albashir claimed that she was handed a bag and instructed to leave it on İstiklal Avenue, but she was unaware of its contents.

According to the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the bombing was planned and executed by the PKK terrorist organization's Syrian branch, YPG.

The prosecutor’s indictment also noted that the bomb attack was ordered and orchestrated by senior leaders of PKK.

She was caught on security camera footage as she left the explosive device on the well-known street. Albashir infiltrated into Türkiye from Syria, where YPG is active, the court said.