Turkey said Kurdish militant group PKK and its U.S.-backed affiliates in Syria were behind a Sunday bomb attack in Istanbul’s popular tourist district that left at least six people dead and 81 wounded, identifying the captured bomber suspect as a Syrian national.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu blamed the autonomy-seeking PKK and the Syria-based PYD for the explosion in the middle of Istiklal Street, which is lined with bars, cafes and shops.
He went on to chide Washington for supporting the PYD, which the U.S. partnered with to confront Islamic State in Syria. The Turkish government says the group is an extension of the PKK, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union.
