Seven More Arrested in Turkey Airport Bombing Case
Joe Cortez July 11, 2016
Passengers embrace each other at the entrance to Istanbul's Ataturk airport, early Wednesday, June 29, 2016 following their evacuation after a blast. Suspected Islamic State group extremists have hit the international terminal of Istanbul's Ataturk airport, killing dozens of people and wounding many others, Turkish officials said Tuesday. Turkish authorities have banned distribution of images relating to the Ataturk airport attack within Turkey. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) TURKEY OUT
Detainees from Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia bring arrest total to 37.
Seven more people are under arrest in Turkey, each for alleged connections to the attack on Istanbul Ataturk Airport (IST) in June. Turkish news organization Anadolu Agency reports the arrested persons were taken into custody late Sunday night.
Anonymous sources speaking to Anadolu say the seven were all foreigners, with three from Algeria, two from Egypt and three from Tunisia. Although the group has seen a judge, none of the seven arrested has entered a formal plea in the case.
One member of the group told the court that they had nothing to do with the case and requested to be released. The suspect said their primary reason for being in Turkey was to transit through to Europe.
“I came to Turkey to pass to other European countries,” the detainee, identified as F.A.A., told the court according to Anadolu. “I never thought to participate in terrorist organizations.”
With the latest arrests, Turkish officials have brought the arrest count to 37 in connection with the attack. Although a formal terrorist organization has not taken responsibility for the attack, many officials suspect either the Islamic State or Islamic-based separatists are behind the bombing.
A total of 45 people were killed and over 200 injured when a group of terrorists entered IST and detonated explosives on June 28. The incident was the second targeted attack on an airport of the year, as well as the second airport explosion in Istanbul in the past seven months.
[Photo: Reuters]
