Twin bombings rock Ankara

Police forensic officers at the site of an explosion in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015. Two nearly simultaneous explosions targeted a Turkish peace rally Saturday by Kurdish activists and opposition supporters in Ankara. At least 86 people were killed and nearly 190 wounded in what appeared to be suicide attacks, Turkish officials said. The explosions occurred seconds apart outside the capital’s main train station as hundreds gathered for the rally, organized by Turkey’s public workers’ union and other civic society groups.The rally aimed to call for increased democracy and an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Two powerful bombs exploded at a peace rally near the main train station in Ankara on Saturday morning, killing over 100 people and wounding 246 others in the deadliest attack in the Turkish capital in recent memory.

The victims were attending a lunchtime peace march calling for an end to the renewed conflict between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government.

The government has called the attack a “terrorist act” and rejected allegations that it was to blame. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the Islamic State (IS) group, Kurdish militant factions or far-leftist radicals could have carried out the bombing. Some have suggested militant nationalists opposed to any accommodation with Kurds seeking greater minority rights could have been responsible.

A placard that reads in Turkish: ‘Peace Immediately Now’ , is seen at the site of an explosion with the bodies of victims covered with flags and banners in the background, in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015. The two bomb explosions targeting a peace rally in the capital Ankara has killed dozens of people and injured scores of others. The explosions occurred minutes apart near Ankara’s main train station as people were gathering for the rally, organized by the country’s public sector workers’ trade union and other civic society groups. The rally aimed to call for an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

The attack occurs three weeks before the national elections and three months after the breakdown of a mutual ceasefire between the Turkish government and the (PKK). Hundreds of people have been killed in the escalating violence since then. The government declared the following three days as a ‘mourning period’ for the Ankara victims.

In response to the attack thousands gathered protesting and paying their respect to the victims blaming the government and the police forces for not stopping the bombers from infiltrating the crowds with chants like “death to fascism” or “Chief and murderer, Erdogan”. While the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared a “state of inactivity” after suffering loses in their forces and shelters.

Protesters carrying pictures of people killed in Saturday’s bombing attacks, walk during a march in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015. Turkey declared three days of mourning following Saturday’s nearly simultaneous explosions that targeted a peace rally in Ankara to call for increased democracy and an end to the renewed fighting between the Turkish security forces and Kurdish rebels. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

And even though no group claimed responsibility for the attack, Davutoglu said Turkey was warned about suicide bomb attacks and in the past three days arrested two suspects.

With the start of the mourning period, Turkey witnessed big marches for funerals as well. Most of the dead remain unknown to people because of the contradicting death and injuries numbers issued by the government.