At least 27 dead in Ankara attack, scores wounded

Not surprisingly, these awful events have also had an impact on the country's tourism industry, coming on the back of Russians boycotting the destination after the downing of a Russian fighter plane by Turkish forces last October.

A large explosion ripped through the main square in Turkey's capital, Ankara, Sunday, killing at least 34 people.

The explosion is believed to have been caused by a auto bomb that went off close to bus stops. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing.

French President Francois Hollande condemned the "vile attack" and said France stood alongside Turkey in the fight against terror, while the U.S. ambassador in Ankara, John Bass, said he was "deeply saddened and horrified" by what had happened.

Erdogan assured Turkish citizens that the country's fight against terrorism will "successfully conclude by bringing down terror to its heel".

"Officials have blamed supporters of the Islamic state, Kurdish militants from the PKK and extreme leftist groups for various attacks inside Turkey", Peter says.

State broadcaster TRT said the vehicle had exploded at a major transport hub, hitting a bus carrying some 20 people near the central Guven Park and Kizilay Square. "It (the bus) slowed down".

"As is always the case with these instances, you hear a pop, and then of course, we saw flames shooting up and a bus and auto catching alight and flames spreading out", he told 7.30.

Emergency responders arrived on scene and police sealed off the area, warning of a possible second bomb. Forensic teams were examining the scene.

"The Turkish Prime Minister has described the person who carried out this attack as a member of Daesh". Turkey past year blocked access to Twitter over the sharing of images of a prosecutor being held at gunpoint by far-left militants.

Two senior security officials said the first findings suggested that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy, or an affiliated group, was responsible.

"The US Embassy informs US citizens that there is information regarding a potential terrorist plot to attack Turkish government buildings and housing located in the Bahçelievler area of Ankara [about 10 minutes by vehicle from Kizilay square]".

The Ankara Chamber of Medicine announced on Sunday that at least 150 people were carried to hospitals.

The HDP is frequently accused of being the political wing of the PKK, an accusation it denies, and of not speaking out against PKK violence.

The fighting shattered the peace talks with the Turkish government with the PKK in the fall of 2012 in an attempt to end a rebellion that resulted in the death of more than 40,000 people since 1984.

Source: At least 27 dead in Ankara attack, scores wounded