Turkish officials link bombings to rebel Kurds

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkish officials suggested Monday that Kurdish militants were the main suspects in bomb blasts that killed 17 people in a crowded square, with Turkey's prime minister saying it could be a reprisal for air raids on guerrilla positions in northern Iraq.

The rebel Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK, immediately denied involvement and attributed Sunday night's attack to "dark forces," an apparent reference to hardline Turkish nationalists who allegedly seek to foment chaos in order to strengthen the political influence of the military.

Nobody has claimed responsibility. Turkey is home to a variety of militant groups besides the PKK, including Islamic extremists and alleged coup plotters with ties to the secular establishment.

"I feel deep grief from this cowardly attack that targeted innocent citizens and I curse them with hatred," said Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, the military chief. "The fact that the attack was carried out in a vibrant street at a time when there were crowds once again shows the savagery, the desperation and the bloody face of terrorism."

The twin blasts happened on the eve of a Turkish court's deliberations on whether to ban the Islamic-oriented ruling party for allegedly trying to undermine secularism, and the timing raised questions about whether there was a link.

The attack and the legal challenge to the government highlight a growing mood of uncertainty in Turkey, where an Islamic-oriented government that won a strong mandate in elections last year is locked in a power struggle with secular circles in the military and judiciary.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew to Istanbul after canceling a Cabinet meeting in the capital, Ankara. At the bombing scene, he suggested that Kurdish militants acted in revenge for air raids on PKK positions in northern Iraq, as well as a cross-border ground offensive by the Turkish military in February.

"Unfortunately, the costs of this are heavy," Erdogan said. "The incident last night is one of them."

The prime minister urged Turks not to back political parties that "support terrorism," an indirect criticism of the Democratic Society Party, a pro-Kurdish group believed to be heavily influenced by the PKK.

The United States and the European Union say the PKK, which seeks autonomy for Kurds, is a terrorist organization.

Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said the rebel group seemed to be connected to the deadliest attack against civilians in Turkey in five years.