A woman mourns for victims as her friends comfort her during a demonstration one day after multiple explosions ahead of a rally, in Ankara, Turkey, October 11, 2015.(Photo: SEDAT SUNA, EPA)
ANKARA —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Thousands of mourners<span style="color: Red;">*</span>gathered in the center of the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday, a day after twin<span style="color: Red;">*</span>explosions killed 95 people and injured hundreds of others.
Police blocked<span style="color: Red;">*</span>people bearing flowers<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in memory of those who<span style="color: Red;">*</span>lost their lives<span style="color: Red;">*</span>from entering<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the site of the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>blasts, which was cordoned off.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said in a statement that police attacked its leaders and members as they tried to leave flowers at the scene, and that some people were injured, Reuters reported.
The crowd chanted<span style="color: Red;">*</span>slogans including<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"we want justice" and "(President Tayyip)<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Erdogan is a thief and a murderer," as some mourners carried photographs of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>victims.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Riot police and water canon vehicles surrounded the rally, but remained in the distance.
On Sunday<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the government, which denies any involvement in the blasts,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said it<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has appointed two chief civil inspectors and two chief police inspectors to investigate the explosions. Three<span style="color: Red;">*</span>days of mourning have also been declared.
Pope Francis led a silent prayer at the Vatican for the victims Sunday.
USA TODAY
Turkish PM blames suicide bombers in peace rally attack that killed 97
Saturday's attack, during a peace rally near Ankara's central train station, was the deadliest in recent history in Turkey. The blasts, which came just seconds apart shortly after 10 a.m., happened when hundreds of demonstrators — many of them supporters of the HDP — had gathered to protest escalating violence between Turkish security forces and Kurdish separatist insurgents.
"Our hearts are on fire," said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>HDP co-leader<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Selahattin Demirtas in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>an address to the crowd.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday said there were strong indications that the attacks were carried out by two suicide bombers. "This is an attack that does not target a specific group; it is an attack on the entire nation and an attack on our unity," Davutoglu said.
Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came as the country grapples with mounting violence ahead of fresh parliamentary elections on Nov. 1. Officials on Sunday said the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>polls will<span style="color: Red;">*</span>go ahead<span style="color: Red;">*</span>as planned.
Davutoglu said Kurdish rebels and Islamic State militants were most likely to be responsible.
The Dogan news agency reported that police detained 14 suspected members of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIL or ISIS, in the central city of Konya following raids on homes Sunday. It was not immediately clear if the arrests were related to the blasts in Ankara.
Onyanga-Omara reported from London.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>USA TODAY is withholding the name of the correspondent in Turkey because of security concerns.?
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