At least six people were killed and 81 others injured, two seriously, when an explosion hit Istanbul’s popular pedestrian İstiklal Street on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference in Istanbul before leaving for Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that based on initial information from the city’s governor, the explosion could be a suspected act of terrorism.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay confirmed the death toll and injuries in a statement Sunday night, also indicating that the cause of the explosion was believed to be a woman who detonated a bomb.
“The relevant units of our state are working to find the perpetrators behind this heinous attack,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters at a press conference before his departure for Indonesia to attend the G-20 summit.
“Initial observations show a woman played a role in the explosion,” he said and stated that “based on initial information from the governor, the explosion could be suspected act of terrorism.”
The Turkish president also vowed that those who waged terrorism against the Turkish nation would fail.
Images shared on social media at the time of the explosion indicated it could be heard from far away and that there were also flames.
Footage showed ambulances, fire trucks and police at the scene, and the area has been evacuated.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown.