Kurdish Militant TAK Group Claims Responsibility For Attack

The statement casts further doubt on claims by the Turkish government that a member of the Syrian People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish group, was behind the attack.

Turkey’s assertions that Syrian Kurdish fighters are to blame for the deadly blast have been greeted with scepticism from the United States, causing a rare and increasingly acrimonious split between the key North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies.

In 2008, the TAK was deemed a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group by the United States.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that U.S.-supplied weapons have been used against civilians by a Syrian Kurdish militia group.

He warned of a “dangerous military escalation” in northern Syria, which he said was “the direct result” of increased military operations by the Syrian government and its ally Russian Federation, calling for an end to the offensive.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), who have been linked previously to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), said the bombing on Wednesday was an act of revenge against “fascist” Turkey and military in the south-east. The statement also revealed that the person driving the explosive-laden vehicle that night was a 26-year-old Turkish national.

A Kurdish militant group formerly associated with the PKK has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack in Turkey.

The draft resolution, which does not mention Turkey or any other country specifically, “strongly demands to fully respect the sovereignty” of Syria and to “immediately halt any cross-border shellings and incursions as well as abandon all attempts or plans for foreign ground intervention”.

The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks have claimed responsibility for the Ankara bombing, debunking prior speculation that the PKK or YPG were responsible for the attack.

“People we spoke to painted a tragic picture of the desperate situation for the civilians who remain trapped between daily airstrikes and dire humanitarian conditions”, said Tirana Hassan, Crisis Response Director at Amnesty International.

People pray at a funeral for eight victims of the February 17 auto bombing at the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara, Turkey.

The TAK first came to the attention of Western media in recent months after it launched a mortar bomb attack on Sabiha Gokcen airport in Istanbul in December.

Turkey has been pressing the U.S.to cut off support to the Kurdish Syrian militias, which Turkey regards as terrorists due to their affiliation with the PKK. “Three plane loads arrived, half of them ended up in the hands of Daesh, and half of them in the hands of the PYD/YPG”.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that during the Obama-initiated call, the two leaders also discussed the situation in Syria.

However, the US State Department said on Friday that there is no proof that can corroborate Erdogan’s remarks.