Turkish police identify Istanbul bomber as PKK member

Nov 3, 2010, 9:55 GMT

Istanbul - Police officials have identified the bomber who blew himself up Sunday in Istanbul's downtown Taksim Square as being a member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Turkish media reported Wednesday.

According to the reports, a police investigation identified the bomber as 24-year-old Vedat Acar.

Thirty two people, including 15 police officers, were injured in the attack.

A statement released by the Istanbul governor's office said Acar had joined the PKK in 2004, although it did not directly blame the organization for the bombing.

The PKK denied responsibility for the bombing soon after the attack.

A report in the Turkish daily Hurriyet said Acar had spent time training in PKK camps in northern Iraq. The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

The group recently announced that it was extending a unilateral ceasefire that was set to end on Sunday for another eight months.

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