Turkey assigns new security chief for Ankara

ANKARA

A police chief from the eastern Turkish province of Van has been assigned as head of security for the capital Ankara.

Mahmut Karaaslan will now be director of Ankara’s Provincial Security Directorate, Turkey’s official gazette announced late on Monday.

The assignment came after a car bomb attack in Ankara's central Kizilay neighborhood during Sunday’s evening rush hour left 37 people dead and injured 43 others.

There were criticisms after the attack that there was no permanent police chief in Ankara, only an acting director of security.

In the wake of the twin suicide bombings that rocked the city in October, killing 97 people, Ankara police chief, Kadri Kartal, was removed amid an Interior Ministry review on the incident.

Ahmet Hakan Arikan had been assigned as acting director of Ankara’s Provincial Security Directorate.

After a bomb on Feb. 17 hit central Ankara, leaving 29 dead, second-degree police chief Yaman Agirlar took over from Arikan.

ANKARA

A police chief from the eastern Turkish province of Van has been assigned as head of security for the capital Ankara.

Mahmut Karaaslan will now be director of Ankara’s Provincial Security Directorate, Turkey’s official gazette announced late on Monday.

The assignment came after a car bomb attack in Ankara's central Kizilay neighborhood during Sunday’s evening rush hour left 37 people dead and injured 43 others.

There were criticisms after the attack that there was no permanent police chief in Ankara, only an acting director of security.

In the wake of the twin suicide bombings that rocked the city in October, killing 97 people, Ankara police chief, Kadri Kartal, was removed amid an Interior Ministry review on the incident.

Ahmet Hakan Arikan had been assigned as acting director of Ankara’s Provincial Security Directorate.

After a bomb on Feb. 17 hit central Ankara, leaving 29 dead, second-degree police chief Yaman Agirlar took over from Arikan.