Three Russians Among 9 Detained In Turkey Over ISIS Links

A Syrian suicide bomber connected to ISIS is thought to be responsible for an attack which killed at least ten people including foreigners in the heart of Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet tourist district. Seoul’s foreign ministry said one South Korean had a minor injury.

Addressing a gathering of ambassadors in Ankara, President Erdogan referred to a Syrian suicide bomber as the culprit, noting there were foreign citizens among the dead.

The explosion, which was heard across several neighbourhoods, was at a public park that is home to a landmark obelisk, about 25 metres from the Blue Mosque.

Police also seized documents and CDs during a search of the premises where the suspects were staying, according to one news agency.

Turkish police stand guard in Sur district, which is partially under curfew, in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, January 12, 2016. Germany has warned its nationals to avoid tourist sites in Istanbul.

Mr Davutoglu has spoken on the phone with German chancellor Angela Merkel to express his condolences, the country’s state-run news agency reports.

Six more people suspected of having links to ISIS were detained in the city of Izmir, Hurriyet reported.

The attack left 10 tourists dead, all foreigners, and like other terrorist strikes in recent months in Paris, Beirut, Mali, Egypt and Baghdad, it resonated far beyond Turkey as civilians were again cut down while going about their daily lives.

Sultanahmet is Istanbul’s top tourist spot, boasting the Topkapi Palace and the former Byzantine church of Haghia Sophia, which is now a museum.

Last year, Turkey agreed to take a more active role in the United States-led battle against IS.

Turkey which borders both Iraq and Syria, two nations in the throes of civil wars has been facing increasing unrest during the past year.

“The fight against terrorism was recognized as a priority at the EU-Turkey Summit on 29 November 2015 and we must step up our efforts in this regard in full respect of our obligations under global law, including human rights and humanitarian law”, said a joint statement released on Tuesday by the European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini and European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn.