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Erdogan's party accused of ordering deadly Isis suicide bombing

A Turkish news agency claims it obtained a classified EU intelligence report saying ‘there is reason to believe... forces within [Erdogan's party] commissioned’ the attack

TURKEY’s ruling party is alleged to have ordered Isis to carry out a deadly bomb attack that killed more than 100 people at a 2015 opposition election rally in Ankara.

The Ahval news website claimed it had been leaked a three-page European Union intelligence report that was released three days after the attack on a peace rally near Ankara train station which killed 109 people and injured at least 500 in October 2015.

The document was allegedly circulated as an urgent top classified briefing note that claimed “the modus operandi of the attack (suicide bombers) points to Da’esh.”

It concluded: “Given the circumstances (arriving buses with demonstrators not searched, police almost absent at the huge demonstration), there is reason to believe that in this case, forces within the AKP commissioned the Da’esh operatives.”

The bombing remains one of the worst attacks in Turkish history, targeting a rally of peace activists, trade unionists and People’s Democratic Party (HDP) supporters. 

It occurred only months after the June 2015 elections in which the AKP lost its parliamentary majority and the pro-Kurdish HDP won its first seats in the Grand Assembly.

The report suggested that with another election looming in November 2015, “the last thing Erdogan really wants at this juncture is a Kurdish peace.”

Police were criticised for hindering emergency services in the aftermath as they blocked a road and fired tear gas at those wounded by the blast.

A trial hearing last November heard suspect Suphi Alpfida allege that police officers in Gaziantep knew about the bombings beforehand and personally knew the leaders of the Isis cell responsible.

It is alleged that police failed to act on an active arrest warrant leaving Isis mastermind Yunus Durmaz, who allegedly planned the Ankara attack and Suruc bombing, free to conduct the massacres.

Speaking at a rally today Mr Erdogan said he would approve the hanging of jailed presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtas if Parliament requested it.

Mr Demirtas responded: “This is the election promise of a presidential candidate in 2018 Turkey, can you imagine? I would sacrifice my life a thousand times for the people and won’t ever take a step back.”

The European Union intelligence and situation centre had not responded to the Star’s request for comment at the time of going to print.

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