Explosion in Kayseri, Turkey Leaves 13 Dead and 55 Injured

On Saturday, December 18, a bomb explosion in Kayseri, central Turkey, resulted in the deaths of 13 Turkish soldiers and injuries to 55 others. According to AFP, the bomb, which was placed in a vehicle, detonated early Saturday near the entrance gate of Erciyes University in Kayseri, and the impact of this explosion on a bus carrying soldiers caused casualties among the bus occupants. Reports indicate that the deceased and injured soldiers were mostly from the Kayseri Air Force Command, who were on leave that day. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for this explosion yet, but Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak linked the early Saturday explosion to two previous explosions last Saturday near the Beşiktaş football stadium in Istanbul; responsibility for those two explosions was claimed by a group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the style and method of the Kayseri explosion were similar to the previous two explosions in Istanbul and added that these incidents would not deter Turkey from its goal of fighting militancy. Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Turkish Prime Minister's Office has issued a statement requesting media outlets to refrain from further coverage of the Kayseri explosion, as the dissemination of such news could cause public panic, fear, and disorder, and assist the objectives of terrorist organizations. Armed tensions between the Turkish government and Kurdish armed groups have escalated recently, particularly in southeastern Turkey, which has witnessed a series of explosions and suicide attacks. The explosions last Saturday night outside the Beşiktaş stadium after a football match resulted in 44 deaths, 38 of whom were police officers. At least 155 people were also injured in those explosions, with 14 still in critical care. In response to the two explosions in Istanbul, the Turkish government has detained 235 individuals across eleven cities, arrested several officials from two Kurdish rights parties, and launched attacks on PKK positions in northern Iraq.