The Istanbul bombing that took 44 lives, 36 of them policemen, and wounded more than 155 triggered unprecedented outrage in the country. The bloodshed of innocent, defenseless people, among them a 19-year-old medical school freshman, touched the hearts of ordinary Turks.
A day later, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) claimed responsibility for the attack. TAK is believed to be an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and the growing public outrage turned against the Kurds. Taking full advantage, the Turkish regime increased its grip on the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Hundreds of party members and others were arrested in a nationwide crackdown on Kurdish and pro-Kurdish activists.
