Sixteen suspects were sent to court on Sunday to face possible charges over the suicide bombing in the heart of Istanbul’s tourist district that killed 10 Germans, Turkish media reported.

Prosecutors are calling for the 16 to be charged with belonging to a terrorist organization, the Dogan news agency reported.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said seven people had been arrested over Tuesday's attack which the authorities have said was the work of a Syrian bomber from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group.

Ten German tourists were killed and another 17 people wounded in the bombing in the historic center of Istanbul near the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, the towering former Byzantine church that is now a museum.

Turkish authorities have identified the bomber as a 28-year-old Syrian who entered Turkey on Jan. 5 posing as a refugee, with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu saying the man was a member of ISIS.

The 16 suspects, whose nationalities were not disclosed, are said to have links to the ISIS group and the court must decide whether to charge or release them.

Ankara has often been criticized by its Western allies for not doing enough to combat IS jihadists who have seized swathes of territory in neighboring Syria as well as Iraq.



Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:45 - GMT 06:45