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Old 07-17-2005, 04:56 AM   #2 (permalink)
SloMax
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Join Date: 06-05-05
Location: EU
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Well they did what they promised...
But that is not the right way... !

PKK 'behind' Turkey resort bomb

Turkish authorities believe Kurdish PKK separatists planted Saturday's bomb on a tourist bus, said the UK ambassador after visiting the injured in hospital.

"They are virtually certain this is the PKK, which is a Kurdish guerrilla group terrorist organisation," Sir Peter Westmacott told the BBC.

But he added that the situation was far from clear - and urged people not to be deterred from visiting Turkey.

Five people, including one British and one Irish woman, were killed.

At least 13 others were injured, including five Britons.

Sir Peter told the BBC two of the Britons remained in a serious condition.

The PKK, considered a terrorist organisation by the US and EU, has been staging a violent campaign against the Turkish government for an independent Kurdish state since 1978.

More than 37,000 people have been killed in the campaign.

The rebels declared a unilateral truce in 1999, but ended it in 2004, saying Turkey had not done enough to meet their demands.

'Repugnant act'

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Saturday's blast, which Turkish officials suspect may have been caused by a parcel bomb, not a suicide bomber as first believed.

Although the Turkish authorities were quick to the bombing a terrorist incident they have not speculated on who might have been behind it.

The British woman died of her injuries after having been taken on to the nearest city, Izmir - 90km (56 miles) away - for medical treatment, along with the other wounded Britons.

UK tour operator Thomas Cook has confirmed that two of those killed in the attack and the five injured Britons were their customers.

"One guest was travelling with Thomas Cook Tour Operations, and the other with Thomas Cook UK & Ireland's subsidiary company, Sunworld Ireland," company spokeswoman Faith Wooton said of the dead holidaymakers.

"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," she added.

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern have condemned the attack, while UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called it a "repugnant act".

But the UK ambassador told the BBC the feeling among many holiday-makers in Turkey as well as among the Turkish locals was that "life must go on" - similar to the response to the London bombs.

The minibus blast came six days after a bombing in the nearby town of Cesme, which left at least 20 people injured.

Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for that attack, as well as one in Kusadasi in April, in which one policeman was killed and four other people were wounded.

Militants both from the far left and from Islamist circles have carried out bombings in Turkey in the past, as have Kurdish rebels.

link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4690181.stm
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