ISTANBUL – ANSWER. Turkish interior minister raises tone Suleiman Soylu and accuses USA as well as Hellas per terrorist attack It happened Sunday afternoon in Istanbul, leaving six people dead and 81 injured, including a Greek woman. Mr. Soylu argued that the alleged perpetrator of the attack would have fled to Greece had she not been arrested, adding that Turkey does not accept US condolences. Then he asked to reconsider the allied relations between the two countries!

Mr. Soylu directly blamed Washington for the attack. “We got the message we were given and we know what it is. We do not accept condolences from the American Embassy. They are feeding the terrorist areas in Kobani with the intention of disturbing the peace in Turkey by sending money from their Senate. Our alliance with such a state must be discussed,” he said characteristically.

The Turkish interior minister added Greece to his allegations, saying that “with a successful operation, we arrested the terrorists. If we had not arrested them, they would have fled to Greece today.”

Reply from Athens

S. Soylow argued that the alleged perpetrator of the terrorist attack in Istanbul would have fled to Greece if she had not been arrested.

Citizens’ Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos responded directly to Suleiman Soyle, stating that “Greece defends its borders well and will never accept terrorists on its territory.” Government spokesman Yannis Oikonomou stated that “the government strongly opposes any act of terrorism. Actions like those in Istanbul are absolutely reprehensible. The country has an open front with every manifestation of terrorism around the world.”

In recent weeks, Turkish officials have begun claiming that Athens is supporting the PKK terrorist organization by organizing a “training camp” in Lavrio. Just last Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that “there are some disturbances that Greece is causing us in the fight against terrorism. Especially this edition of “Stratopedos Lavrio” is not so easy to digest.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “among the victims of yesterday’s explosion in Istanbul there is a Greek woman who was slightly injured by a piece of glass and is out of danger in the city hospital.”

Early Monday morning, Turkish police announced the arrest of the alleged perpetrator of the attack, who authorities say is Alham Albasir of Syrian origin, while it is alleged that during interrogation she admitted that she was trained by the PKK and YPG and who entered Turkey from the Syrian province Afrin. “He received an order from the headquarters of the PKK/PYD/YPG terrorist organization in Kobani, Syria. He confessed to carrying out the attack and fled the scene. The investigation is ongoing,” the Turkish police said. However, both the PKK and the YPG deny any involvement in the attack. According to a Turkish official cited by Reuters, the possibility that the perpetrator has ties to the Islamic State cannot be ruled out. Finally, it should be noted that Suleiman Soylu, since Sunday evening, declared his belief that the PKK was behind the deadly explosion.