A car bomb yesterday exploded outside the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters in the eastern city of Van, leaving 27 people wounded, officials said.
The attack took place in the heart of the bustling city, between the AKP’s offices and those of the governor.
A Turkish official said 27 people were wounded, two critically.
“The blast was caused by a car bomb,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Besir Atalay, an AKP lawmaker from Van, said two of the injured were police officers, describing the whereabouts of the attack as a “busy street, the center of the boulevard,” in live comments on the private NTV television.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast that took place on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha.
Atalay pointed the finger of blame at the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.
“The terrorist organization has targeted our party building and the AKP’s presence in the past. This is one of them,” he added.
Witnesses said the force of the blast shattered the windows in the surrounding vicinity and the AKP’s provincial offices sustained severe damage.
Several ambulances rushed to the scene and TV images showed water cannon being used to put out a fire caused by the blast.
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