Bombing in Turkey kills six
British woman among six dead in bus bomb
Press Association
Saturday July 16, 2005
A British woman died today in a suicide bomb attack on a minibus at a popular Turkish resort.
The woman, who has not been named, was killed in an explosion that ripped through the bus in Kusadasi this morning.
A woman bomber is believed to have blown herself up as the minibus travelled from the town centre towards the beach.
Five other British holidaymakers were also hurt in the attack - three received serious injuries while two were treated for minor injuries.
A total of six people, including an Irish student in her 20s, died while 14 were injured.
Two of those confirmed dead were Turkish and the remaining two have yet to be identified, the Foreign Office said.
All the British holidaymakers together with the Irish woman were travelling with tour operator Thomas Cook.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but local reports said it could be the work of Kurdish rebels who recently bombed other Aegean resort towns.
Al Qaida-linked Islamic factions also fell under suspicion.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw condemned the “repugnant act”, saying it had ruined the lives of innocent people.
He added: "Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families.
“As always we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Turkey, in sympathy and in our refusal to allow terrorists to destroy our values and our liberty.”
The attack happened at about 10.45am local time as the bus made its way from the town bus station towards an area known as Kadinlar Denizi, or Ladies Beach.
Minibuses depart from the centre of Kusadasi to the beach every five minutes during the day.
Footage from the scene showed the wreckage of the bus, which had its roof and sides ripped off in the blast.
Passers-by ran to help the injured, with some carrying the helpless away in their arms.
Several victims were taken to nearby hospitals while others were taken 45 miles further north to a hospital in the port city of Izmir.
Police cordoned off the area following the blast and forensic teams began examining the wreckage.
A police official in Kusadasi said preliminary evidence pointed to a female suicide bomber whose body was torn apart in the blast.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the woman was a Turkish citizen.
Another police official, however, said the bomb could have been placed under the woman’s seat. Iham Nehr, who works at the Dias Hotel in Kusadasi, said the minibus was part of the local bus system known as the “Dolmus”.
“It’s a very cheap way of travelling and is used by local people and tourists,” he said.
“The people on the bus were a mix of tourists and locals and the bus can fit about 15 or 20 people.”
Kusadasi is a popular destination for British holidaymakers, who take advantage of cheap package deals to the area.
Sean Tipton, from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said hundreds of Britons were there at the moment in the run up to the school holidays.
"It mainly attracts people seeking a bit of culture because Ephesus, a well preserved ancient city, is nearby.
“Tourism has grown there over the last 10 years but it is not one of Turkey’s most popular resorts,” he added.
Faith Wooton, from Thomas Cook, said one of the dead had been travelling with Thomas Cook Tour Operations, and another with Thomas Cook UK & Ireland’s subsidiary company, Sunworld Ireland.
“Five further Thomas Cook customers have been injured and are being cared for in hospital,” she added.
“Thomas Cook’s first priority is the welfare of its customers, and the company’s overseas team is on hand to support the injured guests and their families.”
The Foreign Office website warns there was a “high threat” from terrorism in Turkey and a series of bomb attacks have been carried out this year. Kusadasi was hit by a bomb in April which killed one police officer and injured a further four.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/0,12700,1530231,00.html
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