Militant Kurds claim Turkish resort bomb

A militant Kurdish group has claimed responsibility for a bomb explosion at the Aegean resort of Kusadasi that killed a police officer and injured four others, and has warned foreign tourists to stay away.

The Germany-based Mesopotamya News Agency, which often reports rebel statements, said the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons Organisation claimed responsibility for Saturday’s explosion in Kusadasi as well as several other recent bombings in Turkey.

The group warned European tourists not to go to Turkey and said “our actions will continue if the chauvinistic and repressive policy aimed at the Kurdish people proceeds”, Mesopotamya reported on Sunday.

Last June, autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels ended a five-year unilateral ceasefire and stepped up attacks, mostly in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast.

The rebels had threatened to target the country’s tourism industry and infrastructure when they ended the ceasefire.

The rebels have recently split into several factions – including at least one calling for a democratic struggle for Kurdish rights and others calling for armed struggle. The Falcons are believed to be one of the militant factions.

The Falcons also claimed responsibility for two bombs last week in Istanbul, one near a garage for city public buses and the other under a busy bridge, Mesopotamya said. Police defused the first and detonated the other.