Kurdish Terrorists Hijack Ferry, Bomb on Board with 19 Passengers
Five Kurdish gunmen hijacked a Turkish ferry near the port city of Izmit with 19 passengers on board, and are claiming to have a bomb.
Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim reported the news to NTV television, and shared that one of the attackers is in the captain’s cabin and has control of the ferry.
The Associated Press first broke the news of a lone hijacker who took over the ship, but updates are now revealing it is a group of four of five rebel Kurdish militants behind the attack.
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The hijackers are believed to be members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, but they have not come forward with their intended demands. Although, the hijackers made requests to speak to the media, but the demand has not been granted yet, as authorities are considering how best to handle the situation.
The only evidence for the bomb on board is the hijacker’s claims, and no one knows what kind or how dangerous the alleged explosive device is.
TRT Television said three coast guards were following the ferry, but did not want to get too close because of endangering the lives of the people on board.
The hijackers also confiscated the cellphones of all the passengers on board, and they are not allowing them to speak to anyone.
A war between the Turkish government and Kurdish rebels during the 1980s and 1990s caused many casualties and displaced thousands of Kurds throughout the region. Tensions between the groups remained hostile ever since, with rebel clashes occurring on regular basis.
The PKK is fighting for autonomy in the Southeast, which is dominated by ethnic Kurds, and this attack might be an attempt to bring the issue to national headlines.
