Turkish officials have reported that an explosion in a crowded area of central Istanbul resulted in at least six fatalities and 81 injuries.
The explosion occurred on a retail strip near Taksim Square on Sunday at about 16:20 local time (13:20 GMT).
The interior ministry reported that a suspect has now been taken into custody.
Earlier, vice president Fuat Oktay stated that a female terrorist is suspected of carrying out the explosion.
The offenders would face punishment, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He denounced the “vile attack” and claimed that “the smell of terror” was present during a news conference in Istanbul.
Bekir Bozdag, the justice minister, told Turkish media that a woman had been sitting on a bench nearby for more than 40 minutes before departing soon before the explosion.
Suleyman Soylu, the interior minister, announced on Monday morning that police had detained a suspect and that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was to blame.
A terrorist organization known as the PKK demands an autonomous Kurdish state within Turkey. It is viewed as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU.
The blast has not yet been assigned a perpetrator.
A government official named Derya Yanik tweeted that two victims included a worker for a government ministry and his young daughter.
Istiklal Street had been sealed off, and according to BBC correspondent Orla Guerin who is in the vicinity, there was a significant police presence in the area. Ambulances were moving back and forth while helicopters flew overhead.
She added that many store owners who were standing in their doorways on the normally busy street appeared stunned and that the incident will have shocked many people in the city.
When the explosion occurred, Hayat was inside an internet café on Istiklal Street. She reported that there was commotion in the area.
