2007 Ankara bombing
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Ankara bombing was a suicide attack
that occurred in Ankara
, the capital of Turkey
, on 22 May 2007. Six people were reported killed, including one of Pakistani origin, and 121 people were wounded. A seventh person died from his injuries on 7 June and another on 17 June raising the death toll to eight. A ninth person died on 4 July from his injuries.
quarter of Ankara. The police reports suggested a "suicide bombing". A type A4 bomb has been reported as being the cause of the explosion and the "Terror and Organised Crime Unit" has taken over the investigation. The explosion shattered windows of the shopping centre and of nearby buildings creating havoc. The Ankara bombing came as more than 35 world leaders, including the U.S. President, are in Istanbul for a NATO summit that began on Monday, which leaves tensions high as numerous other incidents have occurred in the run-up to the meeting. It also heightens political tensions between the secular and non-secular parties of Turkey, as both fight for public support and leadership of the nation. The timing of the bombing raised assassination suspicions since General Yaşar Büyükanıt
(Chief of the General Staff
), General İlker Başbuğ
(Commander of the Army
), General Işık Koşaner
(Commander of the Gendarmerie
), General Faruk Cömert
(Commander of the Air Force
), Admiral Yener Karahanoğlu
(Commander of the Navy
) were to attend the IDEF Defense Fair same day held at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum crossing the blast zone.
Suicide bomber was later identified as Güven Akkuş. Circumstances surrounding how Akkuş's explosives detonated remains unclear. The police has three competing theories:
Collaborator "Ayşe" is known to have visited a hospital briefly after the bombing and is currently at large.
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
that occurred in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, the capital of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, on 22 May 2007. Six people were reported killed, including one of Pakistani origin, and 121 people were wounded. A seventh person died from his injuries on 7 June and another on 17 June raising the death toll to eight. A ninth person died on 4 July from his injuries.
The attack
The explosion occurred outside a shopping centre in the UlusUlus, Ankara
Ulus is a quarter in Ankara, Turkey and is located at the center of the capital city. It was once the heart of old Ankara. The name means "nation" in Turkish....
quarter of Ankara. The police reports suggested a "suicide bombing". A type A4 bomb has been reported as being the cause of the explosion and the "Terror and Organised Crime Unit" has taken over the investigation. The explosion shattered windows of the shopping centre and of nearby buildings creating havoc. The Ankara bombing came as more than 35 world leaders, including the U.S. President, are in Istanbul for a NATO summit that began on Monday, which leaves tensions high as numerous other incidents have occurred in the run-up to the meeting. It also heightens political tensions between the secular and non-secular parties of Turkey, as both fight for public support and leadership of the nation. The timing of the bombing raised assassination suspicions since General Yaşar Büyükanıt
Yasar Büyükanit
General Mehmet Yaşar Büyükanıt was the 25th Chief of the Turkish General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, from 28 August 2006 to 28 August 2008.-Biography:...
(Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the Turkish General Staff
The General Staff of the Republic of Turkey presides over the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force...
), General İlker Başbuğ
Ilker Basbug
Mehmet İlker Başbuğ was till August 2010 the 26th Chief of the General Staff of Turkey. In this post he is succeeded by Işık Koşaner.-Biography:...
(Commander of the Army
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
), General Işık Koşaner
Isik Kosaner
Sebahattin Işık Koşaner is a Turkish former military general who served as the 27th Chief of the General Staff from 2010 to 2011.-Biography:...
(Commander of the Gendarmerie
Turkish Gendarmerie
The Turkish Gendarmerie is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces and it is responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of police forces , as well as assuring internal security and general border control along with carrying out other specific...
), General Faruk Cömert
Faruk Cömert
General Faruk Cömert, 26th Commander of the Turkish Air Force, was born in the Vezirköprü district of Samsun Province, Turkey, in 1946.He began his military career when he entered the Air Force High School in 1960...
(Commander of the Air Force
Turkish Air Force
The Turkish Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It ranks 3rd in NATO in terms of fleet size behind the USAF and Royal Air Force with a current inventory of 798 aircraft .-Initial stages:...
), Admiral Yener Karahanoğlu
Yener Karahanoglu
Admiral Yener Karahanoğlu is a high-ranking Turkish naval officer and the 21st Commander of the Turkish Navy.He enrolled in the Naval High School in 1959 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1964 as an Ensign. Upon completion of his education and joining the Turkish Fleet in 1966, he served as...
(Commander of the Navy
Turkish Navy
The Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...
) were to attend the IDEF Defense Fair same day held at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum crossing the blast zone.
Suicide bomber was later identified as Güven Akkuş. Circumstances surrounding how Akkuş's explosives detonated remains unclear. The police has three competing theories:
- While moving towards the target suicide bomber Akkuş panicked when a squad car coincidentally stopped in front of him.
- Type A-4 explosives are sensitive to body temperature so it is possible that the explosives self-detonated while Akkuş and a collaborator only identified by her code name "Ayşe"
- Collaborator "Ayşe" detonated Akkuş's explosives remotely when Akkuş panicked.
Collaborator "Ayşe" is known to have visited a hospital briefly after the bombing and is currently at large.