Tourists Killed in Terrorist Attack on Istanbul’s Historic District

A SYRIAN suicide bomber has blown himself up in Istanbul’s busiest tourist district, killing 10 people and injuring at least 15 more.

Mr Davutoglu said he had spoken by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to offer condolences and vowed Turkey’s fight against Islamic State, at home and as part of the US-led coalition, would continue. “I appreciate that”, Nielsen said. Merkel, speaking at a news conference in Berlin, said Germans from a group traveling together were likely also among the dead.

Yet it’s no secret ISIS and various militant factions have been battling in Syria, with Turkey siding against those groups.

The explosion killed at least 10 people, nine of whom were German, and injured 15 others, according to Turkish officials. “It was the first thing on our agenda to visit there today”, said Seufert, who at the time hadn’t heard there were fatalities nor that several, it is believed, were fellow Germans.

Many of Istanbul’s most popular monuments are located in Sultanahmet Square, including the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque.

Turkish authorities have said a 28-year-old Syrian national carried out the attack in Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district, a main tourist hub.

For some, the true cost of the attack is only beginning to unfold and local business people are concerned by what the attack may mean for their livelihoods in an area hugely dependent on Turkish, Arab and worldwide tourists. It is unclear whether the death toll includes the bomber.

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey tweeted, “Ambassador Bass: Closely following reports of an explosion in #Sultanahmet”.

Turkey is a popular destination for Germans, and Germany’s foreign ministry urged travelers in Istanbul “to avoid public gatherings (and) tourist attractions for now” after the attack.

Turkish police have sealed off a central Istanbul square after a large explosion with several people reportedly killed in the blast.

Earlier, two suicide bombers, who planned terrorist attacks during the New Year celebrations, were arrested in Ankara, late December 2015.

“There were a lot of tourists…listening to their guide”, said Mehmet Alas, 46, a taxi driver. Germany’s Foreign Ministry says on its website that further violent clashes and “terrorist attacks” are expected across Turkey.

Several bodies lay on the ground in the square, also known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, in the immediate aftermath of the blast.

Police and ambulances raced to the scene, throwing up a tight security cordon around the area as helicopters hovered overhead, and crowds of anxious locals and tourists clamored to find out what had happened, an AFP correspondent said.