Turkish government officials have announced that a Turkish terrorist group carried out the blasts which killed 46 in Reyhanlı yesterday. The group, according to these officials, is against the government's policies and wanted to provoke public opinion against Syrian rebels and Syrian refugees in Turkey.
The officials added that nine Turkish citizens have been arrested and that they have admitted to carrying out the bombings. The officials also claim that the police are still searching for a few more suspects and that one or more members of the terrorist group has or have links to Syrian intelligence.
The Turkish government has not named the terrorist group but has referred to it as the 'usual (known) group' which has caused some speculation that it is the PKK, a Kurdish terrorist group, or a group related to the PKK.
Syrian government officials have denied any involvement in the bombings and stated that it is the Turkish government which has created a center for terrorism in Reyhanlı.
Of the 46 who were killed 38 have been identified, 35 Turkish citizens and three Syrian citizens. Of the 50 who are still hospitalized 19 are in serious condition and two are in critical condition. Seven of those still hospitalized are Syrian citizens.
The Turkish government has imposed a news blackout on the bombings and has invited the media and social media to 'act responsibly' to prevent 'information polluting rumors'.
I have observed quite a lot of skepticism here in Turkey about the Turkish government's announcements along with anger about the news blackout.
There has just been one interesting new development.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan is being quoted as having said today that Turkey had to be extremely cool-headed in response to provocations to pull the country into the quagmire in Syria, that Turkey's patience and cool-headedness were being tested, and that these types of provocations were attempts to pull Turkey into a foul scenario but Turkey would not fall into the trap.
This is the first time I can remember a Turkish government official refer to the situation in Syria as a quagmire or to resisting efforts to pull Turkey into it.
Update: The Turkish Foreign Minister has stated in a press conference in Germany that the terrorists who carried out these bombings were members of 'a former/old (could be either, in Turksh 'eski') Marxist terrorist group' which has 'links to the Syrian government' and was involved in 'the Banyas massacre' last week.
Update: The Turkish Minister of the Interior has announced that the vehicles used in the bombings were from Turkey. They had not come from Syria. He also stated that they were modified in Turkey - secret compartments to hold the explosives - and were loaded with explosives which had been smuggled into Turkey at some time in the past and then driven to Reyhanlı.
Update: There are reports in the Turkish media that 5,000 people protested against the Turkish government in a march in the center of Hatay, Turkey (also called Antakya) this afternoon.
The protesters are reported to have been supportive of Syrian refugees while being very anti-rebel.