TAK Claims Responsibility for Vezneciler Attack

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) has claimed responsibility for the attack launched on police bus, which claimed lives of 11 people including six police officers on June 7 in Vezneciler neighborhood of İstanbul.

TAK in its statement said, “Our Rojhat-Munzur vindicative unit realized this attack in memory of Martry Asya for our people who murdered in Nusaybin”.

TAK claiming a large number of special operation forces killed in the attack stated that “Colonialist Turkish State strives to keep its real deaths secret in this attack which resulted with more than 10 special forces. 
Fascist AKP who obstinately insists a wild war to Kurdish People is responsible for civilian deaths. Turkish People who keeps quiet this war, goes on to be victim of that”.

TAK also warned of future attacks and called on tourists to not come to Turkey as “Turkey is no more secure” for them.  

In the attack, police officers Emrah Pekdoğan, Gökhan Topçu, Duha Beker, Ramazan Kırboğa, Kadir Cihan Karagözlü and Yaşar Özlem, and that the civilians İstanbul University staff Esra Tekin and her husband Hakan Tekin, bank employee Elif Tutuş İnce and cloth shop owner Ahmet Bayrakt had lost their lives.

About TAK

Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Spokesperson “Roj Kandil”, had made the following explanation to CNN International in November 2010 as to the act launched on October 31, 2010 and claimed by TAK:

TAK has claimed responsibility for the attack in Taksim. According to you, who are they?

It is true that some of TAK members were among us. However, they were criticizing our policies. They saw us very passive and soft. They were saying they favor in escalating armed struggle. Then they separated from us. Nevertheless, they also accept [Abdullah] Öcalan as their leader. Serious problems arose within us after Öcalan has been caught. Some friends were saying, “Leadership has called truce, but state didn’t get it and developed conspiracies against him”. Afterwards, some elements voicing criticism have become a unit. This unit has rapidly went to extremes and established its own organization by decoupling from us.

Are the allegations that TAK is PKK’s city wing true?

Such evaluations are being made because some elements in TAK have separated from us. There is no relation between us. As far as I understand, they are subordinated to Öcalan and loyal to him”.

TAK’s attacks

TAK lastly had claimed responsibility for the explosions at apron in İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on December 23, 2015. TAK had announced it as the end of their inaction they started in 2011.

TAK had claimed responsibility for the following attacks it launched earlier:

Bombed attacks on van carrying tourists in Kuşadası province of Aydın, which left five tourists and one police officer dead, and 34 people wounded on July 17, 2005.

The explosion in Anafartalar bazaar in Ulus district of Ankara which killed seven people, and wounded 102 on May 23, 2007.

Explosion in Bakırköy district of İstanbul which wounded 31 people on June 10, 2007.

Bombed attack which left 15 police officers wounded in Küçükçekmece district of İstanbul on June 8, 2007.

Explosion that occurred during passage of shuttle carrying military staff near military housing in Halkalı district of İstanbul on June 22, 2010.

Attack on Konyaaltı beach in Antalya on August 26, 2011 and the attack on Kemer public beach leaving 6 wounded on August 28.

Bombed attack which left three people dead, 34 others wounded in Kızılay district of Ankara on September 20, 2011.

The attack launched against military vehicle killing 28 on Merasim street in Ankara on February 17, 2016.

The attack launched in Kızılay, the Ankara’s one of most crowded district claiming lives of 37 on March 13, 2016. (BK/TK)