Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the blast was caused by a bomb and may have been terror-related, AFP has reported
“The initial findings suggest there may be more of a link with terror,” Erdogan said. “It is clear there was a bomb in the car.”
“Our colleagues are looking into who was behind this,” he added, saying further details will be announced in the coming hours.
The blast took place around 10 a.m. local time in Hatay province, less than a kilometer from the district governor’s office.
Hatay Governor Rahmi Dogan had initially reported the deaths of the two Syrians and the injury of another.
The town suffered a twin car bombing in May 2013, claimed by pro-Damascus groups, killing more than 50 people.
Separately, a Turkish military vehicle was targeted by a roadside bomb on Friday in the Kurdish province of Siirt, southeastern Turkey.
State-run Anadolu Agency (AA) claimed that the bomb had been laid by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK has not claimed the attack.
Two Turkish soldiers were injured in the explosion, according to AA.
Following the failed military coup in the summer of 2016, Erdogan's government called a state of emergency. It allowed for authorities to conduct wide-ranging crackdowns against alleged anti-state actors.
The state of emergency expired after repeated renewals in July 2018 following Turkey's parliamentary and presidential elections.
Update: 5:21 p.m.
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