PM expresses sadness over loss of lives in Turkey blasts

The White House on Saturday condemned the “horrific terrorist” attack in the Turkish capital Ankara, which killed at least 95 people.

“The (Kurdish rebels) or Daesh could emerge (as culprits) of today’s terror event”, Davutoglu said, promising that those behind the attacks would be caught and punished.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held an emergency security meeting to discuss the attack. On Sunday, Turkey’s military said two Syrian jets and surface-to-air missile systems based in Syria locked radars on three F-16 jets patrolling the Turkish-Syrian border, in a new incident of harassment of Turkish planes from Syria.

Minister Mehmet Muezinoglu said 28 people among the 186 wounded are in intensive care. Police used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse protesters armed with firecrackers and stones, according to the Haberturk newspaper. The two explosions wounded at least 126 people, the ministry added.

The fighting was rekindled following a similar suicide bombing in July that killed 33 peace activists near the border with Syria, which authorities said was the work of the Islamic State group.

“This is an attack that does not target a specific group; it is an attack on the entire nation and (an) attack on our unity”.

Witnesses said the two explosions happened seconds apart shortly after 10 a.m.as crowds, including HDP activists, leftists, labour unions and other civic groups, gathered for a planned march to protest over the deaths of hundreds since conflict resumed between security forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

Violence between Kurdish militants and the state escalated since that vote, which ended in a hung parliament and failed to produce a stable government.

Turkey has experienced an upsurge in unrest in recent months, which began after over 30 people were killed in the predominantly Kurdish town of Suruc on July 20 in an attack against pro-HDP activists that was blamed on ISIL.

Mr McCully said New Zealand had a special relationship with Turkey which was built on shared history “and we stand with the people and Government of Turkey in their fight against terrorism in all its forms”.

The increased violence and political uncertainty has battered markets while raising fears that Turkey is being increasingly dragged into the civil war in Syria. “Finland strongly condemns the attack”. With worldwide concern growing over instability in the key North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged Turkey to “stand united against terrorists”. It said it would not launch attacks but would defend itself.

“(That) development could make ISIS a secondary concern in the eyes of many Turks to the PKK”, Cagaptay said in emailed comments, using another acronym for IS militants.

US President Barack Obama, in a telephone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was reported to have pledged continued U.S. support to Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

Turkey v Islamic State v the Kurds: What’s going on?

Rallies involving Kurdish groups in Turkey have been hit by bombings three times this year.