Kurdish militant group claims responsibility for Istanbul's airport attack

Istanbul, Dec 27: A Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport which killed one person, Turkish media reported on Saturday. “Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), known as a sympathiser of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), carried out the mortar attack at Sabiha Gokcen airport leaving one aircraft cleaner dead and injured another one,” Xinhua quoted a TAK statement published by Kurdish Firat News Agency. The attack left five airplanes damaged, the statement claimed.

TAK also threatened Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and “his fascist” Justice and Development Party government, saying “they will not be able to live in peace in their own cities.” As to tourists and foreign companies operating in Turkey, TAK said that it will not be responsible for the security of foreigners travelling to Turkey. The group, branded as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and the US, has carried out attacks in Turkey’s Mediterranean and western provinces of Antalya and Mugla. (IANS)