INTL Istanbul explosion

FreedomoftheHills

FreedomoftheHills

Contributing Member
Explosion in Istanbul today, being called terrorist attack.

www.bbc.com

Istanbul: Six dead, dozens wounded in Turkey explosion

The blast happened in a busy shopping area in the heart of the Turkish city.
www.bbc.com

At least four people have been killed and dozens wounded in an explosion in a busy area of central Istanbul, the Turkish city's governor has said.

Ali Yerlikaya said on Twitter that the blast happened at about 16:20 local time (13:20 GMT) on a shopping street in the Taksim Square area.

It is unclear what caused the explosion, which appears to have been captured on numerous videos circulating on social media.

Emergency services are at the scene

BBC correspondent Orla Guerin, who is in the area, said there was a heavy police presence around Istiklal Street, which had been cordoned off. Helicopters were circling overhead as ambulances went back and forth.

The street - usually packed with shoppers - was previously targeted by a suicide bomber in 2016.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
 
M

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
Snip from a story here.

The minister said evidence obtained pointed to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and to its Syrian extension, the Democratic Union Party, or PYD.

He said the attack would be avenged.

“We know what message those who carried out this action want to give us. We got this message,” Mr Soylu said.

“Don’t worry, we will pay them back heavily in return.”

Mr Soylu also blamed the United States, saying a condolence message from the White House was akin to a “killer being first to show up at a crime scene”.
Turkey has been infuriated by US support to Syrian Kurdish groups.
 
Doc1

Doc1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I absolutely hate terrorist bombers. I consider them to be lower than even pedophiles - irrespective of their political persuasion - if that were possible. I've personally seen their handiwork a couple of times and their victims are (almost) invariably those least able to defend themselves; civilians on the street or in a restaurant or shop.

I'd have more respect for them if they targeted military or police targets, but that's rarely the case, because, you know, they might get shot! They are cowardly scum and should be executed by a bomb, just like their victims. Seriously. Handcuff them to a post and place a limpet mine or other timed device on the ground, just out of their reach.

Give them a few minutes to consider their evil deed before they meet eternity!

Best
Doc
 
W

Walrus

Veteran Member
Lord have mercy on those who've been arrested, because the Turks sure won't. Their torturers probably make the southeast Asians look to be backyard amateurs in comparison.

The other item of interest which this incident highlights (besides the scummy taint of terrorists) is the difference between the basis of the legal codes. Most countries in Europe, for instance, use as their basis the Napoleonic code whereas we have English common law as the basis of justice in the US. I'm not certain which serves as the basis for Turkish law other than I suspect there's some sort of unwritten balanced tension between Sharia law and the traditional Turkish secular stance which would probably lean toward the Napoleonic code.

There are significant differences in the two systems (common law vs. Napoleonic) and it's a useful exercise to study them. For instance, under the Napoleonic code, actions which are not specifically permitted are forbidden. Under English common law, that which is not specifically prohibited is generally permitted. See the difference? Authoritarian regimes would lean toward the French model, naturally.

Another significant difference is the presumption of innocence. Here in the US, our justice system (theoretically) presumes the innocence of the accused unless proven guilty. Under Napoleonic law, there is no such presumption, and the innocence of the accused must be totally borne by the accused person's defense.

Sometimes we are confused by what we observe in legal battles. What might be confusing is that we're simply picking up on one of the difference of the two legal codes. So in order to tie this back to the original thought, remember that the people who've been arrested are considered to be guilty and their subsequent treatment is to prove that.

This concept also makes me think about the J6 political prisoners who've been rotting away in jail, stripped of the most basic of their legal protections while vile criminals are released back onto the street in hours with no charges.
 
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