Page 6 - aruba-today-20221115

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 15 November 2022

Turkey detains Syrian suspect in deadly Istanbul bombing

By MEHMET GUZEL and SU- action want to give us. We
ZAN FRASER Associated got this message,” Soylu
Press said. “Don’t worry, we will
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish po- pay them back heavily.”
lice said Monday they have Soylu also blamed the Unit-
detained a Syrian woman ed States, claiming that
with suspected links to a condolence message
Kurdish militants and that from the White House was
she confessed to planting a akin to “a killer being first to
bomb that exploded on a show up at a crime scene.”
bustling pedestrian avenue Turkey has been infuriated
in Istanbul, killing six people by U.S. support for Syrian
and wounding several doz- Kurdish groups.
en others. Kurdish militants In its message, the White
strongly denied any links to House said it strongly con-
the bombing. demned the “act of vio-
Sunday’s explosion hit Is- lence” in Istanbul, adding:
tiklal Avenue, a popular “We stand shoulder-to-
thoroughfare lined with shoulder with our NATO ally
shops and restaurants that (Turkey) in countering ter-
leads to Taksim Square. rorism.”
“A little while ago, the per- Turkish television broad-
son who left the bomb was cast footage purporting
detained by our Istanbul Relatives and friends of Arzu Ozsoy and her 15-year-old daughter Yagmur Ucar, who died in to show the main suspect
Police Department teams,” Sunday’s explosion occurred on Istiklal avenue, attend their funeral in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, being detained at a house
Interior Minister Suleyman Nov. 14, 2022. Associated Press where she was alleg-
Soylu announced early edly hiding. It said police
Monday. Police later iden- common. The country was police said. Asked about Soylu’s com- searching the house also
tified the suspect as Ahlam hit by a string of deadly The Kurdistan Workers Party ments, Greek government seized large amounts of
Albashir, a Syrian citizen. bombings between 2015 denied involvement in a spokesman Giannis Oikon- cash, gold and a gun. The
The Istanbul Police De- and 2017, some by the Is- statement, saying it did not omou reiterated Greece’s minister told reporters that
partment said videos from lamic State group, others target civilians. In Syria, the condolences and stressed Kurdish militants had alleg-
around 1,200 security cam- by Kurdish militants who main Kurdish militia group, that the government “is edly given orders for the
eras were reviewed and seek increased autonomy People’s Defense Units, steadily against any terror- main suspect to be killed
raids were carried out at 21 or independence. denied any links to the ist act. What happened in to avoid evidence being
locations. At least 46 other Police said the suspect told suspect. The group main- Istanbul is abhorrent and traced back to them. Istan-
people were also detained them during her interroga- tained that Turkish President condemnable.” bul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya said
for questioning. tion that she had been Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Earlier, Soylu said security of the 81 people hospital-
The suspect allegedly de- trained as a “special intel- trying to gather interna- forces believe that instruc- ized in the attack, 57 have
parted the scene in a taxi ligence officer” by the out- tional support for his plans tions for the attack came been discharged. Six of the
after leaving TNT-type ex- lawed Kurdistan Workers’ to launch a new incursion from Kobani, the majority wounded were in intensive
plosives on the crowded Party, as well as the Syrian into northern Syria ahead Kurdish city in northern Syr- care and two of them were
avenue, police said. Kurdish group the Demo- of next year’s elections. ia that borders Turkey. He in life-threatening condi-
Sunday’s explosion was a cratic Union Party and its Soylu said the suspect said the attack would be tion, he said. The six killed in
shocking reminder of the armed wing. She entered would have fled to neigh- avenged. the blast were members of
anxiety that gripped Turkey Turkey illegally through the boring Greece if she hadn’t “We know what message three families and included
when such attacks were Syrian border town of Afrin, been detained. those who carried out this children ages 9 and 15.q

Haiti prime minister ousts top officials amid US sanctions

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) served as justice minister. month after the U.S. gov-
— Prime Minister Ariel Henry Henry did not say why the ernment announced it was
has dismissed Haiti’s justice officials were removed, pulling the visas belonging
minister, interior minister and his spokesman could to current and former Hai-
and its government com- not be immediately tian government officials
missioner in a fresh round of reached for comment.enry involved with gangs.
political upheaval. Former has become Haiti’s interior The officials were not iden-
Justice Minister Berto Dor- minister while still serving tified.Earlier this month, the
cé first fired Government as prime minister, and Em- U.S. Treasury Department
Commissioner Jacques La- melie Prophète Milcé was imposed sanctions on Hai-
fontant on Henry’s orders named justice minister, the tian Senate President Jo-
before being ousted him- fifth one in the past two seph Lambert and former
self days later along with years as the country strug- Senator Youri Latortue amid
Interior Minister Liszt Quitel, gles to bring to justice all allegations they abused
according to documents those involved in the July their positions to smuggle
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry speaks during a ceremony
in memory of slain Haitian President Jovenel Moise at the that The Associated Press 2021 assassination of Presi- drugs alongside gangs and
National Pantheon Museum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 7, obtained on Monday. dent Jovenel Moïse. directed others to engage
2022. Quitel had previously The dismissals come a in violence.q
Associated Press