Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the explosion as an act of terrorism.
“The relevant units of our state are working to find the perpetrators behind this heinous attack. Initial observations show a woman played a role in the explosion. Based on initial information from the governor, the explosion could be suspected act of terrorism,” Erdoğan said in a press conference before his departure for Indonesia to attend the G-20 summit.
Around an hour after the explosion took place, a broadcast ban was issued by the Istanbul Criminal Court for all visual and audio news and social networking sites related to the incident.
Internet speeds throughout Turkey were significantly decreased following this event. (ILKHA)