Turkish Istanbul Bombings: 17 People Will Be Courted, Three Freed And 29 Deported

JAKARTA - The Turkish court has jailed 17 people pending trial in connection with the deadly street bombings in Istanbul.

The November 13 explosion occurred at the bustling Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, a popular street filled with shops and restaurants, killing six people, including two children, with more than 80 injured, citing The National News Nov. 18.

Turkish authorities blamed a fatal explosion on the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, as well as the Syrian-Kurdish group affiliated with it. Kurdish militant groups denied involvement.

Those detained have been accused of an attempt against state unity, intentional killings and attempted murder, Turkish government news agency Anadolu reported on Friday.

The court released three other people from custody, pending trial. It also ordered the deportation of 29 people who were also arrested by police in connection with the attack.

Meanwhile, prosecutors interrogated the main suspect, a Syrian woman accused of leaving a TNT-laden bomb on Istiklal Avenue, for about five hours.

The woman, identified as Ahlam Albashir, allegedly told her interogator she had entered Turkey illegally and lived in a house in Istanbul for four months, pretending to be part of a couple with one of the other suspects.

Anadolu reported that Albashir allegedly admitted to leaving a bag containing explosives on the bench, but claimed he did not know what was in it.

The trial date is expected to be set after prosecutors prepare their charges, which could take months.

Separately, a suspect was arrested by Turkish police on Wednesday evening in the Syrian city of AZZ, which is currently under the control of Turkey-backed Syrian opposition, and is being interrogated by police. Meanwhile, there was no information on 29 people facing deportation.

It is known that the PKK has been carrying out armed insurgency in Turkey since 1984, which killed tens of thousands of people.