On November 13, at about 4:20 pm, an explosion occurred in the center of Istanbul on the pedestrian tourist street Istiklal, in the Beyoglu district. The incident was reported by Turkish media.
Ambulances, police, and firefighters arrived at the scene. There are dead and wounded, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said on his Twitter page.
The police blocked the passage to Istiklal Street. Residents of the area are urgently evacuated.
According to CNN Türk, 11 victims are currently known.
The causes of the explosion are still unknown. There are different versions in the media. “It could be a fragmentation bomb or a suicide attack. But this is most likely a terrorist attack, – said an expert on terrorism, Professor Mesut Hakki Kashin, live on A Haber Radio (Turkey). – Why was it done? I think it has to do with politics.”
The Istanbul Prosecutor General’s Office said an investigation had been launched into the explosion. As the leading cause of the incident on Istiklal Street, law enforcement officers are considering a terrorist attack.
Turkish authorities have banned TV channels from broadcasting from the site of the explosion in Istanbul, the Supreme Council for Broadcasting said in a statement. Until the ban is lifted, the media cannot transmit information related to operational and investigative actions and publish photos and videos of the wounded and the dead. Only official statements or materials based on them can be published.
UPD. At 17:45 the number of victims increased. Cnnturk.com reports that 4 people were killed and 38 injured in an explosion on the tourist street Istiklal. The Russian Consulate General said that there is no information about the affected Russians yet.
18:17. According to CNN Türk, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement. “As a result of the explosion, 6 people died and 53 were injured—my condolences to those who died as a result of the bomb explosion. Attempts to seize Turkey and the Turkish people through terrorism will not achieve their goal today and tomorrow, as they did yesterday,” he said.