Marxist group claims responsibility for bombing at U.S. embassy in Ankara

In a lengthy, rambling statement posted online on Saturday, the DHKP-C claimed responsibility for the embassy attack, called the U.S. “the murderer of the people of the world” and warned the Obama administration to “get your bases, your missiles, and your Patriots the hell out of our country.” It added: “It is the Syrian people who will decide how, and by whom, Syria will be governed. The AKP government is a lackey to imperialists who seek to overthrow al-Assad, who refuses to bow his neck to them… We condemn the use our land for the imperialists’ interests against Syria.”

The Patriots referred to by the statement are the interceptor missiles deployed recently along Turkey’s border with Syria. A total of six batteries – two each sent by Germany, the Netherlands and the U.S. – have recently been stationed in Turkey to protect against a possible Syrian missile attack.

But did Syria put the DHKP-C up to bombing? Or was the group acting on its own? The bombing also comes on the heels of a massive police crackdown against the DHKP-C. Since the beginning of January, 85 of the group’s members have been detained. Just over a week ago, 55 of them were charged with membership in a terrorist organization. According to police sources quoted by Turkish newspapers, thegroup had been planning to assassinate state officials and attack foreign embassies. Friday’s suicide attack, observers point out, had come amidst an uptick in DHKP-C violence.