ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish court on Friday charged 17 of the suspects detained for their alleged involvement in the recent deadly attack in Istanbul, including a Syrian woman believed to be the main perpetrator of the explosion, according to state media. A TNT-laden bomb exploded in Istanbul’s bustling Istiklal Avenue on Sunday, killing six people and injuring 81 others, according to official figures. Police arrested 49 people, including a 23-year-old Syrian woman named Ahlam Albashir whom the authorities claim is the main perpetrator of the explosion. The suspects were tried for the first time on Friday and were questioned by 29 public prosecutors in Istanbul. The country’s criminal court ordered to send 17 of these people to jail, including Albashir, release three on bail and deport the remaining 29, reported Anadolu Agency. No information about the 29 suspects who face deportation has been provided. All the suspects are accused of "destroying the unity and integrity of the state," "deliberate killing," "deliberately attempting to kill" and "deliberately aiding murder." Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday that Turkish forces arrested a man, codenamed Husam, in Azaz city which is controlled by Ankara and its Syrian proxies. He is believed to have helped Albashir in carrying out the attack. Turkish authorities have blamed the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) which controls northeast Syria (Rojava) for the explosion but the group has denied any responsibility. The state media claimed that Husam is a member of the YPG and moved from Syria to Istanbul one year ago, adding that he managed to flee Turkey while police were chasing him.
