ISTANBUL // A suicide car bomber on Saturday blew up a public bus transporting off-duty soldiers in Turkey’s central province of Kayseri, killing 14 troops and wounding 56 other people.
The blast happened a week after a car-bomb attack claimed by Kurdish militants killed 44 people, mainly riot police, and wounded more than 150 others near a football stadium in Istanbul.
Interior minister Suleyman Soylu said the identity of the Kayseri attacker was known and that seven people had been taken into custody in connection with the attack. Police were searching for five others.
Mr Soylu said a total of 56 people were wounded, half a dozen of them seriously. The death toll rose from 13 to 14 after one more soldier died in hospital, the official Anadolu news agency said.
Though no group made any immediate claim of responsibility, the Turkish authorities said the signs suggested the bombing was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Kurdish militants said they carried out the football stadium attack and deputy prime minister Veysi Kaynak described the Kayseri bombing as “unfortunately similar” to last weekend’s tragedy in Istanbul.
“All indications at present point to the PKK,” said government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus. “We have to take into account all possibilities but the signs at present point to the PKK.”
Hours later, dozens of nationalist protesters stormed the headquarters of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) in Kayseri.
The suicide bomber ambushed a commando brigade going on weekend leave at 8.45am in Kayseri, a usually calm industrial town in central Anatolia. The bomb went off at the entrance gate to Erciyes University. Health minister Recep Akdag said four of the 48 wounded soldiers were in critical condition.
Images taken moments after the explosion showed a public bus, still in flames, with its windows blown open and its interior blackened.
Although no group made any immediate claim of responsibility, Kurdish militants have claimed several attacks against soldiers and police across Turkey this year that have also caused many civilian casualties.
“Turkey is under a combined attack by terrorist organisations, especially the divisive terrorist organisation,” said Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said the attack was “not independent” of developments in Syria and Iraq.
Turkey has fought the PKK for decades in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The collapse of a two-and-a-half year ceasefire in July last year set the stage for a violent new chapter and ushered vast security operations in the predominantly Kurdish south-east of the country.
Turkey is also at odds with western-backed Kurdish factions fighting against ISIL extremists in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. Turkey views these groups as extensions of the PKK. On Saturday, president Erdogan conceded the Kayseri bombing was “not independent” of developments in Syria and Iraq.
“We know that these attacks we have endured are not unrelated to happenings in Syria and Iraq, or even our economical fluctuations,” he said. The protesters who broke into the HDP offices threw papers and furniture into the street and removed the HDP sign from the entrance. One group then ascended to the top of the building, where they started a fire and draped a giant red flag with three crescent moons, the insignia of the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Turkish media said that Saturday’s protesters were supporters of the Grey Wolves, a militant wing of the MHP who were prominent in the 1980s and 1990s.
The government says the HDP is the political wing of the PKK, a claim the HDP denies. Several of the party’s members of parliament, including the co-leaders, are currently under arrest over alleged links to the PKK.
The HDP earlier condemned the attack on the soldiers “in the strongest possible terms”.
But it added: “We have long passed the stage of settling with messages of condemnation. We all must stand together for peace, democracy, justice and freedom against violence, to end this pain.”
Kayseri is seen as one of the strongholds of the nationalist party in Turkey, although the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) has made inroads there in recent years.
Meanwhile, angry right-wing protesters also attacked an outdoor meeting of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in central Kayseri, the Hurriyet daily said.
A state of emergency was declared following a botched July 15 coup attempt in Turkey and remains in force. The Turkish government has detained tens of thousands of people and fired tens of thousands of others for alleged ties to a cleric-led movement it says was behind the attempted coup, a claim the group denies.
As usual with attacks in Turkey, the prime minister’s office imposed a temporary blackout on coverage and urged media to refrain from publishing anything that may cause “fear in the public, panic and disorder and which may serve the aims of terrorist organisations.”
* Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
Company%20profile
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm