Suicide bombings target wedding, police station in Turkey

World Today

A man mourns over a graveA man mourns over a graveyard as people attend funeral services for dozens of people killed in last night’s bomb attack targeting an outdoor wedding party in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Mahmut Bozarslan)

The Kurdish militant group PKK is claiming responsibility for a deadly explosion targeting a police station in the southern eastern Turkish city of Cizre early Friday. At least 11 people were killed.  

This comes just days after a horrific suicide bombing in the city of Gaziantep, which killed 54 people – mostly women and children.

Meanwhile, Turkey is strengthening its presence in Syria as part of operation Euphrates Shield. CCTV’s Natalie Carney reports from Gaziantep on the Turkey-Syria border.

Follow Natalie Carney on Twitter @NatalieCarney77

The neighborhood of Beybahce is quietly trying to get back to life as usual. The Gaziantep municipality is busy repairing the damage of a suicide bombing that targeted a wedding celebration here late last Saturday.

The joyous occasion spilled out onto a street and a side street, until moments later the unexpected explosion shattered the happy moment. Scores were killed, mostly children and a community rocked to its core.

The devastating attack, which officials are linking to ISIL, was the deadliest and most brazen in Turkey this year. Everyone here seems to have lost someone, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend.

Zuleyha Boylu, a wedding guest says her family lost three relatives in the explosion.

“When the explosion happened, the windows shook and I dropped to the ground and fainted. When I woke up I saw the ambulances coming and going.” said Boylu.

People mourn as they attend funeral

People mourn as they attend funeral services for dozens of people killed in last night’s bomb attack targeting an outdoor wedding party in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Mahmut Bozarslan)

A few days later, Turkey struck back, launching operation Euphrates Shield aimed at clearing the border area of ISIL terrorists and pushing back the U.S. supported Kurdish led PYD forces operating in Northern Syria.

Ankara views them as terrorists. An extension of their own Kurdish separatists, the PKK. On Thursday, Turkish artillery targeted the PYD just south of Jarabulus in Syria.

Then early Friday morning, the PKK detonated a car bomb outside a police station in the southeastern Turkish town of Cizre, killing several police officers and wounding dozens more.

Following this attack, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım declared a total war against all terrorism and Daesh, using another name for ISIL.

“Until our citizens are provided 100 percent safety in their life and property, we will continue our operation in there,” said Yıldırım. “Until the Daesh elements are taken out from there (northern Syria), we will continue our operations.”

Yet, Operation Euphrates Shield is not putting to rest the lingering fears residents of Beybahce hold.

Mehmet Kaya, a Beybahce resident, says the people’s psychology is very aggravated.

“I don’t wish this kind of experience on anyone,” said Kaya. “As residents of this neighborhood, as Turks, we want these atrocities to stop. We are really in pain here.”

Turkey is facing many threats and enemies. And people here are on edge. They say the evil forces that would target such a happy occasion as a wedding, could strike again – at any time.