No doubt PKK was behind İzmir attack: Justice minister

ISTANBUL

There is “no doubt” concerning the identity organization that carried out a deadly attack on an İzmir courthouse on Jan. 5, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has said, noting that all the obtained information indicated that both the masterminds and the perpetrators of the attack were militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Speaking after a funeral ceremony at the same courthouse for courthouse for two people killed in the attack, Bozdağ said the investigations were continuing in the incident and that the identities of the militants had been confirmed. 

At the same time, however, he said the militants’ names would not be announced for the sake of a smooth operation and to determine other individuals who might have had contact with the militants.  
  
Bozdağ said a total of 18 suspects were detained after the attack in line with information obtained from the prosecutor’s office. 

Regarding details of the plot attempted by the militants, Bozdağ said the militants planned to detonate a car in the parking lot and then fire an anti-tank missile at the courthouse. Another militant was then supposed to throw hand grenades, he added.

Bozdağ said the attack aimed to target prosecutors that are conducting terror probes. 

“When some developments that they could not gauge occurred, the explosion took place earlier. They could not follow through on their plans,” said Bozdağ. 

Meanwhile, political parties in parliament also condemned the attack on Jan. 5. 

Justice and Development Party (AKP) group deputy chair Naci Bostancı condemned the attack and said the militants had attempted an attack that would have resulted in more casualties but that they could not succeed due to the job of the security forces.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) group deputy chair Levent Gök also said he condemned the attack. 

The opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which focuses on the Kurdish issue, also condemned the attack, saying it targeted society. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) similarly decried the attack, saying Turkey had begun 2017 by “giving martyrs” despite initial high hopes.

MHP deputy Baki Şimşek also urged the government to take necessary measures to remove terror from Turkey’s agenda.