EXPLAINER: Why Istanbul blast has political implications

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — The attack on a central avenue in Istanbul over the weekend was a stark reminder of bombings in Turkish cities between 2015 and 2017. Those blasts crushed the Turkish public’s sense of security at the time and also heralded a new phase in Turkey’s decades-long fight against outlawed Kurdish groups. Sunday’s explosion with a TNT-laden bomb killed six people and wounded dozens of others. Turkish police said they apprehended a Syrian woman who is accused of planting the device after crossing illegally from Syria. Authorities said she confessed to carrying out the attack on behalf of Kurdish militants. Kurdish groups, however, said they had no involvement in Sunday’s attack and do not target civilians.