ISTANBUL
Turkish police defused a time bomb at a daily Turkish newspaper’s courtyard in Istanbul on Friday, security officials said.
After the attack the newspaper issued a written statement, saying that the threats would not stop it from disclosing the tricks being allegedly played over Turkey.
"We would like to remind once again that efforts of terrorist groups who want to silence Star Media with a bomb are futile," the statement said.
The statement also criticized the Dogan Media Group and pro-“parallel state” media and pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) Leader Selahattin Demirtas, whom it accused of targeting the Star Media.
The parallel state refers to a group allegedly embedded in state institutions working to undermine the government.
"Neither bomb nor open or hidden threats will hinder us from making stories about the tricks played over the country," it added.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan also condemned the attack on his official Twitter account.
"I condemn the attack against Star Media Group. Those who treat the terrorist group as a flower child and encourage them with their statements are also responsible for the attack," Akdogan tweeted.
The bomb, which was wrapped in a banner with the initials of an illegal left-wing organization -- Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLK-P) -- was found at daily Star’s courtyard at around 11.00 a.m., local time [0800GMT] in Istanbul’s industrial Ikitelli district.
Security guards noticed the bomb and notified the police. Later, a bomb disposal squad defused the explosives device. An investigation has been launched into the incident.
According to local media, the same group allegedly claimed responsibility for a gun attack targeting a police station in Istanbul’s Sultangazi neighborhood on Tuesday.
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