Europe

Home page

Europe

Turkey: Blast 'kills 2, injures 100 plus' in HDP rally - UPDATED

UPDATED '>

05 June 2015 20:10 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Two people were killed and more than 100 others were injured in two consecutive explosions at an election rally of a pro-Kurdish opposition party in the southeastern Diyarbakir province Friday, Turkish Agriculture Minister Mehmet Mehdi Eker said, APA reports quoting Anadolu Agency.

The blast took place near the Diyarbakir's Istasyon Square where the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was holding an election rally.

Earlier, Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu told reporters in the western Bursa province that between 20 and 24 people had been hospitalized.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz ruled out that the explosion was caused by a roadside power grid as preliminary reports earlier indicated.

"We have sent personnel from Dicle Electricity and Turkish Electricity Transmission Company to the blast site. After examination, it was notified clearly to me that the power grid did not cause the explosion," Yildiz told reporters in central Kayseri province.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu took immediate notice of the incident and ordered authorities to investigate the nature of the blast.

"We will find out at the earliest whether it is really a power grid explosion or a provocation. We will bring to light the reason behind it and take the perpetrators to task," Davutoglu said in southeastern Gaziantep province, adding that he hoped the injured people recovered soon.

After the blast, some groups of people pelted stones on the police in Diyarbakir’s Ofis district. A police vehicle was also set on fire. Police responded with tear gas and water cannon in an attempt to disperse the protesters.

Davutoglu urged the people of Diyarbakir to not succumb to any provocation attempt.

"As the prime minister, I always condemn any attack against any of the opposition parties just as I react harshly to the one against [the ruling] AK Party," he said, adding that all necessary precautions were being taken.

The blast came just two days before Turkey goes to the polls Sunday.

The HDP is standing as a party for the first time in Turkey’s general election, seeking to pass the 10 percent threshold that will allow it to gain seats in the Grand National Assembly.

The party currently has lawmakers who stood as independents in the 2011 election and joined the party after being elected.

One of the biggest highlights of the election is that if the HDP passes the electoral threshold, it will be able to win at least 50 to 60 seats, which will be seats lost for the largest party in their constituencies.

***

20:35

Baku-APA. An explosion on Friday that appeared to be caused by an electrical fault injured several people at an opposition party rally in Turkey's mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, television footage showed, APA reports quoting todayszaman.

The footage showed people being carried out on stretchers as the rally's organisers announced on loudspeakers that the explosion had been caused by a fault in a power generator and urged people to stay calm.

At least seven people were founded in the explosion, initial reports said.

The incident comes amidst increasing attacks targeting the party. Most recently, unidentified assailants fired on a campaign minibus of the HDP in eastern Turkey on Wednesday, killing the driver, only days ahead of a crucial general election.

Also last month, simultaneous bomb blasts hit offices of the HDP in two southern cities in the provinces of Adana and Mersin, wounding six people only three weeks ahead of the June 7 parliamentary election.