Turkish President Erdoğan Orders State Probe İnto Ankara Bombings

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 13 that he has ordered Turkey's top official audit body to investigate the Oct. 10 twin suicide attacks in Ankara that claimed at least 97 lives.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his visiting Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö in Ankara, President Erdoğan announced that he ordered the State Audit Board (DDK), an inspection body attached to the Turkish presidency, to undertake a special investigation "to handle (the attack) from a different perspective."

"We are deeply sorry with this grievous event, which happened before our non-governmental organizations gathered to exercise their democratic rights," said the president. "I once again strongly condemn this terror attack, which targets Turkey's unity and its goals. This is an attack on Turkey, the target of it is our entire country and nation."

The DDK probe will be held in parallel with the regular police and judicial investigation. The DDK has in the past probed state-sensitive issues such as the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.

"There must undoubtedly be a mistake, a shortcoming in some place. Of what dimension? This will emerge after examinations," Erdoğan said, adding that Turkey received intelligence indicating that the Ankara attack may be linked to Syria.

"We received intelligence that there were some preparations for various attacks by entering our country. There is some intelligence that this has roots in Syria," he said.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Oct. 12 that the prime suspect for the attacks was the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which was behind a similar attack in Suruç on July 20, in which 33 people, most of whom were members of the Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) giving a press statement on their planned trip to reconstruct the Syrian border town of Kobane, were killed.

Erdoğan said the Ankara attack culprits will be brought to justice but warned "some patience is needed" as DNA tests are carried out on the remains of the two suicide bombers.

With pressure growing to dismiss Interior Minister Selami Altınok, Erdoğan said immediate resignations were not appropriate.

"If there's any negligence of duty, then both the prime minister and related units will take steps needed. Nobody should doubt it," he said. - Ankara