Clashes and Bomb Explosion in Izmir, Turkey Leave at Least Four Dead

The governor of Izmir announced on Thursday, January 6, that as a result of a car bomb explosion and gunfire in front of the courthouse in the city, four people were killed and five others were injured. According to reports, Errol Ay Yildiz stated that the attackers were armed with automatic Kalashnikov rifles and grenades, adding that the clash had begun before the bomb explosion. He noted that the conflict started when officers attempted to stop and inspect the vehicle. Previously, the Turkish television network 'CNN Turk' reported that following the explosion of a parked car near the Izmir courthouse, gunfire was heard. The governor of Izmir indicated that two attackers were killed by police officers and added that several of the injured are in serious condition. Meanwhile, Turkish police reported that one of their officers and a court employee were killed in the clashes. Izmir, located in southwestern Turkey, is considered the third largest city in Turkey after Istanbul and Ankara. According to Reuters, the governor of Izmir stated that based on available evidence, the attackers were members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). However, the PKK has not claimed responsibility for the attack so far. This party has been at war with the central government of Turkey since the 1980s for autonomy in Turkish Kurdistan, and peace negotiations between the parties have yielded no results. The clash and explosion in Izmir occurred just days after a shooting at a nightclub in Istanbul, where a gunman killed 39 people and injured 27 others, some of whom were foreign nationals. So far, Turkish security forces and police have not managed to apprehend the attacker. According to AFP, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak suggested that a Uyghur Turk may have been involved in this attack. The Anadolu Agency reported that several Uyghurs residing in Turkey have been arrested by police. Some Uyghur Turks from the Xinjiang region of China live in Turkey. Earlier reports indicated that a citizen of Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan may have been involved in this attack. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for that attack, stating that it was in response to the Turkish military's operations in northern Syria against 'jihadist forces.' In this context, the Turkish parliament agreed to extend the state of emergency for another three months. Turkey reported the arrest of eight suspects in connection with the attack on a nightclub in Istanbul. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on the Istanbul nightclub, where citizens from various Middle Eastern countries were among the victims. At least 39 were killed in the shooting at the nightclub in Istanbul.