Real target of Reyhanlı car bombs was in Ankara, says deputy PM

ISTANBUL

Fifty one people were killed by the twin blasts, 41 of whom have been identified, including 36 Turkish citizens. Hürriyet Daily News photo by Emrah Gürel

Investigations have revealed the real target of the recent attacks in Reyhanlı as Ankara, according to Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay.

The sighting of the Reyhanlı suspects around the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara was reported earlier in daily Hürriyet, which claimed that the initial target had been the capital city. The suspects, however, changed their mind about the location and headed to Hatay, Hürriyet reported.

Atalay confirmed the claims regarding the target on May 14.

The tip alerting the authorities of a possible threat first came around 4 p.m. in the afternoon on May 8, Hürriyet reported, and the suspects were paid around 130,000 Turkish Liras for committing the crime, according to Hürriyet.

Nine suspects were detained a day after the explosions, and the number reached 13 on May 14.

Fifty one people were killed by the twin blasts, 41 of whom have been identified, including 36 Turkish citizens. Over 732 workplaces, 62 vehicles, eight public buildings and 120 individual houses were damaged by the explosions.

Turkish authorities have blamed supporters of President Bashar al-Assad for the blasts, but Syria quickly denied the accusations.