터키 최악의 자살폭탄테러, 정부 ‘자작극’ 의혹 부인
* ‘아시아엔’ 연수 외국기자가 작성한 기사의 한글요약본과 원문을 함께 게재합니다.
[아시아엔=라드와 아시라프 기자, 번역 최정아 기자] 지난 10일 터키 수도 앙카라 도심 평화집회서 발생한 2건의 자살폭탄 테러로 최소 128명이 사망하고 246명이 부상당했다. ‘터키 사상 최악의 테러’로 평가받는 이번 자살폭탄테러는 쿠르드족계 정당 쿠르드노동자당(PKK)과 터키 정부 간 분쟁 종결을 요청하는 집회 도중 발생했다.
터키 정부는 이번 자살폭탄사건을 ‘테러행위’로 규정한 한편, 일각에선 이번 테러가 에르도안 정권이 오는 11월1일 조기 총선을 앞두고 벌인 ‘자작극’이라는 음모론도 제기되고 있다. 터키 당국은 “이러한 의혹들 모두 사실이 아니며 이번 테러가 이슬람 수니파 극단주의 무장단체 이슬람국가(IS)의 소행인 것으로 추정하고 있다”고 밝혔다.
한편 이번 테러는 터키정부와 PKK 간 휴전협상이 불발된 지 3개월만에 발생했다.?터키 공군은 테러 발생 다음날인 11일(현지시간) 터키 남동부와 이라크 북부 접경지대에서 쿠르드 반군들을 겨냥해 공습을 벌였다.
Twin bombings rock Ankara, Turkey
Two powerful bombs exploded at a peace rally near the main train station in Ankara on Saturday morning, killing over 100 people and wounding 246 others in the deadliest attack in the Turkish capital in recent memory.
The victims were attending a lunchtime peace march calling for an end to the renewed conflict between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government.
The government has called the attack a “terrorist act” and rejected allegations that it was to blame. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the Islamic State (IS) group, Kurdish militant factions or far-leftist radicals could have carried out the bombing. Some have suggested militant nationalists opposed to any accommodation with Kurds seeking greater minority rights could have been responsible.
The attack occurs three weeks before the national elections and three months after the breakdown of a mutual ceasefire between the Turkish government and the (PKK). Hundreds of people have been killed in the escalating violence since then. The government declared the following three days as a ‘mourning period’ for the Ankara victims.
In response to the attack thousands gathered protesting and paying their respect to the victims blaming the government and the police forces for not stopping the bombers from infiltrating the crowds with chants like “death to fascism” or “Chief and murderer, Erdogan”. While the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared a “state of inactivity” after suffering loses in their forces and shelters.
And even though no group claimed responsibility for the attack, Davutoglu said Turkey was warned about suicide bomb attacks and in the past three days arrested two suspects.
With the start of the mourning period, Turkey witnessed big marches for funerals as well. Most of the dead remain unknown to people because of the contradicting death and injuries numbers issued by the government.