Turkey detains 3 in connection with deadly Istanbul blast

“The style of the attack, a suicide bomber, and the [target], a group of tourists, suggests a jihadist attack”, said a Western diplomat.

The Turkish government quickly attributed the attack to ISIS, adding that a Syrian man who recently crossed the border to Turkey was behind the deadly blast.

“According to the investigations so far, there are no indications that the attack was directed specifically against Germans, so there can’t be any connection to our contribution to the fight against worldwide terrorism”, de Maiziere said. Turkish media, including newspapers close to the government, identified him as Nabil Fadli, and said he was born in Saudi Arabia.

And a week before the attack, 220 people “identified” as IS members were detained in Turkey, the interior minister said on Wednesday.

One suspect with a link to the attack was detained in Istanbul late Tuesday, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said during a news conference with his German counterpart.

The bombing Tuesday took place just yards from the city’s Blue Mosque, whose nine domes and six minarets are one of the most recognizable features of the city’s skyline.

Turkish security forces over the last two days rounded up 68 suspected IS members across the country, state media said, but it was not clear if any of them were directly connected to the Istanbul bombing. He didn’t provide further details.

Russia’s Consulate General in the Mediterranean city of Antalya said three Russians had been detained over suspected connection to Islamic State, Russian state news agency RIA said.

Berlin travel agency Lebenslust Touristik said several of the Germans killed in the blast were on one of its tours when the attack happened, warning the number of injured could rise. But it was the first time any recent attacks specifically targeted tourists in Turkey, whose tourism industry is a key component of the economy.

Germany sent a team of investigators to Istanbul on Wednesday from its Federal Criminal Police Office, which is comparable to the FBI, to support Turkish authorities investigating the attack.

Germany has taken a noncombat role in the worldwide military effort against the Islamic State group, stationing reconnaissance planes at an air base in Turkey.

The Turkish premier said other countries fighting the Islamic State group had to adopt “a honest stance”, accusing Russian Federation both of preventing Turkey from carrying out raids on the extremists and of bombing schools and hospitals in Syria instead of fighting IS.

“These extreme actions run contrary to the very heart of the target, a historic city wherein the monuments of three major empires – Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman blend together with a touch majesty and tranquillity”, he said. Authorities didn’t identify the victims but said they ranged in age from 51 to 73.

Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara.