A Turkish court has issued its verdict in the case of the 2022 terrorist attack in Istanbul's bustling pedestrian area of Istiklal Street. The attack left six people dead and over 80 injured.
The accused, Ahlam Albashir, was sentenced to seven life terms for aggravated assault and a total of 1,794 years in prison for other offenses, according to a report by Anadolu.
The Verdict
Albashir received seven life sentences for "violating the unity and integrity of the state" and "deliberate murder" related to the deaths of six people in the attack. The additional 1,794 years in prison were handed down for other crimes linked to the terrorist attack.
The 154-page indictment prepared by the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office detailed the charges against 36 defendants. It indicated that the terrorists' objective was to establish a so-called "independent united democratic state of Kurdistan" across regions in Syria, Iran, and Iraq, following Marxist-Leninist principles.
The indictment also pointed out that there had been numerous attempts in the past with similar intentions.
The Istanbul Attack
The explosion in Istanbul occurred on Istiklal Street, a popular pedestrian thoroughfare, on the afternoon of November 13, 2022. The blast site is a six-minute walk from the central Taksim Square.
The attack resulted in six deaths, including two children, and injured more than 80 people. It served as a grim reminder of the bombings that rocked Turkish cities between 2015 and 2017, shaking public confidence in safety.
Turkish authorities attributed the attack to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and associated Syrian Kurdish groups. However, Kurdish groups have denied involvement in the bombing.
Syrian national Ahlam Albashir was accused of planting a TNT bomb on Istiklal Street, leading to the tragic explosion.
