Attacks in Turkey increasing, hitting its economy

A blast this morning ripped through central Istanbul killing 11 and wounding 36 people; the target appears to have been a Turkish police bus. However, this is only the latest in a long line of attacks on the country, which has seen a significant increase recently. Security fears are already hitting its vital tourism sector and impacting on investor confidence. The wars in neighbouring Syria and Iraq have created a Islamic State network blamed for a series of suicide bombings, while militants from the largely Kurdish southeast area have increasingly struck in the cities. As we noted, tourists to Turkey fell by 28% in April, the largest drop in 17 years.

A bomb attack has killed 11 people and left 36 wounded in Istanbul, Turkey

A bomb exploded in the centre of Turkey's capital city during rush hour this morning, killing two people and wounding others, according to local media reports.

Istanbul's governor has said 11 people were killed in the explosion, and 36 were wounded.

A Turkish police bus was the target of the bomb attack, which took place near a university and a number of tourist sites in the densely populated Vezneciler district in central Istanbul.

A parked car packed with explosives was detonated by remote control as a police personnel bus passed by, according to reports.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. Kurdish militants, Islamic State and radical leftists have all staged attacks in Turkey recently, and Istanbul was the target of an attack in March and in January this year.