Nearly 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured after twin blasts hit a peace rally in Ankara Saturday, in the deadliest attack of its kind in Turkey's modern history.
The bloodshed marked a sharp escalation of the unrest that has plagued the country since a huge attack in Suruc on July 20 sparked an "anti-terror" campaign against Kurdish militants and Islamic State jihadists.
Here is an overview of the main developments since then:
- JULY -
- 20: 33 people killed in a suicide bombing in the predominantly-Kurdish town of Suruc near the border with Syria with Turkish officials pointing the finger at the IS group. Many Kurds accuse Ankara of complicity with IS militants.
- 22: The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) kills two Turkish policemen to avenge the Suruc attack.
- 24: Turkish jets bomb IS targets inside Syria for the first time, then strike PKK militants in northern Iraq. More than 1,000 suspected IS jihadists, Kurdish militants and Marxists arrested in dawn raids.
- 25: Turkey intensifies air strikes on IS jihadists and Kurdish militants in Iraq, prompting the PKK's military wing to say conditions for maintaining a ceasefire with Turkey "have been eliminated".
- 28: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says "it is not possible" to pursue the peace process with the PKK.
- AUGUST -
5: Turkey says ready for a "comprehensive" fight against the IS in Syria. US bombs IS targets in the first strike staged from Turkish territory.
10: Five Turkish police officers are killed by a roadside bomb and a soldier dies in an attack on a military helicopter in separate incidents in Sirnak province blamed on the PKK. In Istanbul, a car explodes outside a police station, and two women open fire at the US consulate in an attack claimed by a far-left group.
19: Eight Turkish soldiers killed in a bomb attack in the southeastern province of Siirt blamed on the PKK.
21: Erdogan calls for snap November 1 polls after efforts to form a coalition collapse.
- SEPTEMBER -
7: The Turkish army says the PKK killed 16 of its soldiers in a roadside bomb attack in the southeastern Hakkari region.
8: Ankara launches a wave of air strikes against PKK strongholds in northern Iraq. Fourteen police are killed in an attack blamed on the PKK in eastern Turkey.
9: The leader of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) warns the country is being dragged into a "civil war".
10: Pro-Kurdish MPs are barred from entering the southeastern city of Cizre, which is under an army curfew as part of a military operation against PKK fighters. The curfew is lifted on September 12.
17: Over 10,000 people rally against terrorism in Ankara. A similar rally in Istanbul three days later attracts over 100,000.
19: The Turkish army says it carried out a new barrage of air strikes against PKK militants in northern Iraq, killing at least 55 rebels.
22: Two Kurdish ministers quit the cabinet, accusing Turkey's government of promoting a "logic of war".
- OCTOBER -
2: Turkey says 17 suspected PKK rebels are killed after security officers enforce a military lockdown in the mainly Kurdish southeastern town of Silvan.
10: At least 95 people are killed and 246 wounded after two bombs rip through a crowd of leftist and pro-Kurdish activists at a peace rally near Ankara's main train station. The government says the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers.
The PKK announces it is halting all offensive action against Turkish forces ahead of the polls.
Nearly 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured after twin blasts hit a peace rally in Ankara Saturday, in the deadliest attack of its kind in Turkey’s modern history.
The bloodshed marked a sharp escalation of the unrest that has plagued the country since a huge attack in Suruc on July 20 sparked an “anti-terror” campaign against Kurdish militants and Islamic State jihadists.
Here is an overview of the main developments since then:
– JULY –
– 20: 33 people killed in a suicide bombing in the predominantly-Kurdish town of Suruc near the border with Syria with Turkish officials pointing the finger at the IS group. Many Kurds accuse Ankara of complicity with IS militants.
– 22: The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) kills two Turkish policemen to avenge the Suruc attack.
– 24: Turkish jets bomb IS targets inside Syria for the first time, then strike PKK militants in northern Iraq. More than 1,000 suspected IS jihadists, Kurdish militants and Marxists arrested in dawn raids.
– 25: Turkey intensifies air strikes on IS jihadists and Kurdish militants in Iraq, prompting the PKK’s military wing to say conditions for maintaining a ceasefire with Turkey “have been eliminated”.
– 28: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says “it is not possible” to pursue the peace process with the PKK.
– AUGUST –
5: Turkey says ready for a “comprehensive” fight against the IS in Syria. US bombs IS targets in the first strike staged from Turkish territory.
10: Five Turkish police officers are killed by a roadside bomb and a soldier dies in an attack on a military helicopter in separate incidents in Sirnak province blamed on the PKK. In Istanbul, a car explodes outside a police station, and two women open fire at the US consulate in an attack claimed by a far-left group.
19: Eight Turkish soldiers killed in a bomb attack in the southeastern province of Siirt blamed on the PKK.
21: Erdogan calls for snap November 1 polls after efforts to form a coalition collapse.
– SEPTEMBER –
7: The Turkish army says the PKK killed 16 of its soldiers in a roadside bomb attack in the southeastern Hakkari region.
8: Ankara launches a wave of air strikes against PKK strongholds in northern Iraq. Fourteen police are killed in an attack blamed on the PKK in eastern Turkey.
9: The leader of Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) warns the country is being dragged into a “civil war”.
10: Pro-Kurdish MPs are barred from entering the southeastern city of Cizre, which is under an army curfew as part of a military operation against PKK fighters. The curfew is lifted on September 12.
17: Over 10,000 people rally against terrorism in Ankara. A similar rally in Istanbul three days later attracts over 100,000.
19: The Turkish army says it carried out a new barrage of air strikes against PKK militants in northern Iraq, killing at least 55 rebels.
22: Two Kurdish ministers quit the cabinet, accusing Turkey’s government of promoting a “logic of war”.
– OCTOBER –
2: Turkey says 17 suspected PKK rebels are killed after security officers enforce a military lockdown in the mainly Kurdish southeastern town of Silvan.
10: At least 95 people are killed and 246 wounded after two bombs rip through a crowd of leftist and pro-Kurdish activists at a peace rally near Ankara’s main train station. The government says the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers.
The PKK announces it is halting all offensive action against Turkish forces ahead of the polls.
