The interior minister of Turkey has labeled the explosion that occurred outside the country’s interior ministry in the capital city of Ankara as a “terrorist attack.”
According to Ali Yerlikaya, two assailants arrived at the scene in a commercial vehicle at approximately 09:30 local time (06:30 GMT) and executed the attack, resulting in injuries to two police officers. Yerlikaya explained that one attacker detonated an explosive device in front of a ministry building, while the other was “neutralized.”
The explosion unfolded shortly before the parliament was scheduled to reconvene. The identities of the attackers remain unknown, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
A senior Turkish official informed Reuters news agency that the attackers had seized the vehicle and killed its driver in Kayseri, a city located 260 kilometers (161 miles) southeast of Ankara.
One of the injured officers sustained shrapnel wounds, and initial media reports mentioned gunfire heard in the vicinity.
In response, emergency services swiftly arrived at the scene, with police cordoning off several nearby roads.
“Our struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralised,” Mr Yerlikaya wrote on social media.
Ankara’s police force has stated that they are conducting “controlled detonations” of “suspicious packages” as a precautionary measure to avert potential further explosions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to address the parliamentary session later on the same Sunday.
During the autumn session, the Turkish parliament is anticipated to officially approve Sweden’s entry into NATO.
In July, Turkey withdrew its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership after months of disagreements, primarily centered on accusations of Sweden harboring Kurdish militants.
Previously, militants, primarily associated with the banned Kurdish Workers Party, were responsible for frequent attacks throughout the country.
In response, the authorities have applied substantial pressure, including the incarceration of its leaders and military operations targeting Kurdish bases within Turkey and across the borders in Syria and Iraq.