Turkey changes tune
SUICIDE BOMBER NOT CHILD AS FIRST THOUGHT As rebels mass to attack IS in Syria, govt pledges to fight jihadists ‘to the end’.
Turkey this week went back on claims that a child bomber linked to Islamic State (IS) jihadists carried out a deadly suicide bombing close to Syria, saying it had no clue who was behind the attack.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Ankara could not confirm who was the perpetrator of the attack on a Kurdish wedding in Gaziantep which left 54 dead. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was a child bomber acting on IS orders.
“We do not have a clue about who the perpetrators behind the attack were. Early information on who did the attack, in what organisation’s name, is unfortunately not right,” Yildirim said.
“Those who were behind the attack will be revealed, there is no doubt about this.”
The Hurriyet daily said DNA tests were underway to ascertain the bomber’s identity, nationality and gender.
Security forces believed the attack was retaliation for offensives both by Kurdish militias and pro-Ankara Syrian opposition forces against IS in Syria, according to Turkish press reports.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said hundreds of rebel fighters were preparing inside Turkish territory to launch an offensive on the IS-held Syrian town of Jarablus.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey backed anyone fighting against IS.
He said Turkey itself would fight the group “to the end”. – AFP