The Kurdish militant group TAK says it carried out Saturday's deadly attack on police outside a stadium in Istanbul.

The TAK, an offshoot of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), made the claim on its website.

At least 38 people died near the Vodafone Arena when a car bomb hit a police vehicle and a suicide bomber blew himself up nearby after a top-division football match.

The TAK has said it was behind other deadly attacks in Turkey this year.

In Sunday's statement, it said the latest bombings were in reprisal for ongoing violence in the south-eastern Turkey and for the continuing imprisonment of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Earlier on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said initial findings pointed towards the PKK.

The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says many Turks believe the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) are the PKK under a different name.

Mr Numan said that about 300-400kg (660-880lb) of explosives had been used in Saturday evening's attack.

It came two hours after the end of the match between top teams Bursaspor and Besiktas, when fans had already dispersed.

President Erdogan told reporters on Sunday that Turkey would fight "the scourge of terrorism to the end", and promised that the attackers would pay a "heavy price".

Thirty of those killed were police officers. Dozens of people remain in hospital, some in intensive care.

Turkey has declared a day of national mourning.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 13 people had been arrested after the latest blasts, but gave no details.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC News

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