Turkish court charges 17 over bombing in Istanbul that killed six people

Turkey's state-run news agency says a court has ordered 17 suspects jailed pending trial in connection with a deadly street bombing in Istanbul last weekend

A Turkish court has ordered 17 suspects jailed pending trial in connection with a deadly street bombing in Istanbul, accusing them of attempts against the unity of the state, deliberate killings and attempts to kill, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Friday.

The court released three other suspects from custody pending trial, Anadolu Agency reported. It also ordered the deportation from Turkey of 29 people who were rounded up by police in connection with the attack.

The Nov. 13 explosion targeted Istanbul’s bustling Istiklal Avenue — a popular thoroughfare lined with shops and restaurants — and left six people dead, including two children. More than 80 others were wounded.

The attack came as a shocking reminder of bombings that hit Turkish cities between 2015 and 2017, shattering the public’s sense of security.

Turkish authorities blamed last weekend's explosion on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, as well as Syrian Kurdish groups affiliated with it. The Kurdish militants groups have denied involvement.

Prosecutors questioned the main suspect in the attack, a Syrian woman who is accused of leaving a TNT-laden bomb on Istiklal Avenue, for some five hours.

The woman, identified as Ahlam Albashir, allegedly told her interrogators that she had entered Turkey illegally and stayed at a house in Istanbul for four months, pretending to be a couple with one of the other suspects, the Anadolu Agency reported.