A man who left a bomb on Istiklal Street in Istanbul has been detained in Turkey, Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said.

According to the Anadolu news agency, immediately after the explosion, the police also detained 21 people on suspicion of involvement in the explosion.

According to Soylu, the investigation has evidence indicating that traces of the attack lead to Syria.

“According to our estimates, the order came from Kobani, and the perpetrator of the attack came from Afrin,” the agency quoted him as saying.

In addition, according to Anadolu, investigators have evidence pointing to the involvement of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization, in the explosion.

The head of the Turkish Interior Ministry expressed confidence that the people who "caused this pain will soon receive an even tougher response."

At the same time, he spoke about the position of a number of Ankara's allies in the fight against terrorism, calling it insincere.

He did not specify which countries he was talking about.

“There is the insincerity of a number of our so-called allies, who either harbor terrorists at home, or allow them to exist in the territories they occupied, or officially send them money from their senates,” the TASS minister quotes.

Also on russian.rt.com Turkish Interior Minister criticizes US condolences in connection with the terrorist attack in Istanbul

On the morning of Monday, November 14, Fahrettin Altun, head of the Turkish presidential administration's communications department, spoke in a similar vein.

According to him, the attacks against the civilian population of Turkey are the result of direct or indirect support provided by individual countries to criminal organizations.

Anadolu cites Altun's publication in which he called on all countries that seek friendly relations with Turkey to immediately stop any contacts with terrorists.

“Every challenge and tragedy is doomed to fail.

Turkey is getting out of the situation, becoming stronger, ”the agency publishes the words of Altun.

Recall that on the afternoon of November 13, an explosion occurred on the pedestrian tourist street Istiklal in the Istanbul district of Beyoglu.

As a result, six people were killed and 81 others were injured.

As the head of the Turkish Ministry of Health Fahrettin Koca later stated, 39 out of 81 victims have already been discharged from medical institutions.

According to the minister, five hospitalized are in intensive care, two of them are in serious condition.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that according to preliminary data, a woman was involved in the explosion on Istiklal Street.

The Turkish leader also expressed confidence that the perpetrators of the incident and those behind them will be punished.

“Attempts to pressure Turkey and the Turkish people through terrorism will never achieve their goal,” Anadolu quoted Erdogan as saying.

Earlier, the head of the Turkish Ministry of Justice, Bekir Bozdag, said that the Istanbul Prosecutor General's Office launched an investigation into the explosion.

According to investigators, a woman suspected of committing a terrorist attack was on one of the benches on Istiklal Street for more than 40 minutes.

As Bozdag explained, the investigation is considering two versions of the explosion.

According to one of them, the explosives detonated automatically.

According to another version, the bomb was activated remotely.

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He also expressed confidence that the organizers and perpetrators of terrorist attacks against civilians would not achieve their goals.

Initially, the Russian Consulate General in Turkey reported that the Russians were not injured in the terrorist attack in Istanbul.

Later, diplomats published an updated message, according to which three Russians were injured in the explosion.

“According to updated information, as a result of the explosion ... three Russian citizens were injured.

Currently, there is no threat to their lives.

The Consulate General continues to monitor the situation, ”RIA Novosti quotes a message from the diplomatic mission.

On the morning of November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to the Turkish leadership in connection with the tragic consequences of the terrorist attack in Istanbul, the Kremlin press service reported.

“Please accept our deepest condolences in connection with the tragic consequences of the terrorist attack in Istanbul.

I ask you to convey the words of sincere sympathy and support to the families of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all the wounded, ”the message says.

Putin noted that Moscow is ready for "the closest cooperation with Turkish partners in the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism."