A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara just hours before parliament was set to re-open after summer recess, the interior minister said.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said a second assailant was killed in a shootout with police after both suspects arrived near the entrance to the Ministry of Interior Affairs in a commercial vehicle.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Yerlikaya also said two police officers were injured during the attack. It occured just before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was set to deliver an address to parliament.
There was no immediate information on the assailants. Kurdish and far-left militant groups as well as the Islamic State group have carried out deadly attacks throughout the country in the past.
Television footage showed bomb squads working near a parked vehicle in the area which is located near the Turkish Grand National Assembly and other government buildings.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation has been launched into the “terror attack.” “These attacks will in no way hinder Turkey’s fight against terrorism. Our fight against terrorism will continue with more determination,” he said.
Police cordoned off access to the city center and increased security measures, warning citizens that they would be conducting controlled explosions of suspicious packages.
The blast comes almost a year after six people were killed and 81 wounded in an explosion in a busy pedestrian street in central Istanbul. Turkey blamed Kurdish militants for that.
During a spate of violence in 2015 and 2016, Kurdish militants, Islamic State and other groups either claimed or were blamed for several attacks in major Turkish cities. In March 2016, 37 people were killed in Ankara when a bomb-laden car exploded at a crowded central transport hub.
President Tayyip Erdogan was set at 7:30 p.m. to attend the opening of parliament, which in the coming weeks is expected to consider ratifying Sweden’s bid to join NATO after Turkey had raised initial objections.
Turkish media reported that authorities were carrying out checks of the parliament after the blast at the ministry. A source told Reuters that the entrance was open but no cars were allowed through as part of the precautions.