A 2016 explosion in Taksim Square shook the heart of Istanbul
A devastating suicide bombing in Istanbul's Istiklal Avenue in 2016 brought the heart of Turkey's cultural life to a standstill and signaled a period of heightened global security concerns.
On March 19, 2016, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device on Istiklal Avenue, a bustling pedestrian thoroughfare near Taksim Square. The attack killed five people and injured dozens more, striking at one of the most iconic symbols of Istanbul's cosmopolitan identity.