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Turkish police have detained at least 235 people in raids targeting officials from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) over alleged links to Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have been connected to the twin bombings in Istanbul on Saturday.
The death toll from Saturday night's attack outside a football stadium has risen to 44, of whom 36 were police officers, said Health Minister Recep Akdag, according to Agence France-Presse. Around 150 people were also injured.
A car bomb exploded outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas, and less than a minute later, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a group of policemen at a nearby park.
The raids were launched after the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a radical offshoot of the outlawed PKK, on Sunday claimed responsibility for the bombings.
Hours after that claim, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq, destroying a headquarters of the militants, an army statement said.
In total, 235 people were detained in operations in 11 Turkish cities accused of acting on behalf of the PKK or producing propaganda for the group, some via social media, the Interior Ministry said, according to Reuters.
It did not give specific numbers of how many HDP officials and its sister Democratic Regions Party were detained in early-morning raids.
Ankara regularly accuses the HDP of being an extension of the PKK.
Last month, 10 HDP lawmakers were arrested, accused of being PKK members or of promoting the group.
Singapore's President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have written to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu respectively to convey their condolences, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Dr Tan said Singapore condemns these ruthless acts of terror, while Mr Lee said Singapore stands in solidarity with Turkey, according to the ministry.
Dr Balakrishnan said the attack was yet another reminder of the threats we face today and the need to work together to combat extremism.
(THE STRAITS TIMES)
