Istanbul: Thirteen Turkish soldiers were killed and 48 wounded on Saturday after a car bomb exploded near public bus in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, reports said.
The soldiers — all low-ranking privates and non-commissioned officers — had been given permission for leave from the commando headquarters in the city, the army said in a statement.
The wounded were being treated in hospital while there could also be additional civilian casualties, it said.
Initial television pictures showed that the bus had been reduced to a smouldering wreck by the impact of the blast.
The explosion comes a week after 44 people were killed in an attack in Istanbul claimed by Kurdish militants.
Turkey has seen a spate of deadly bombings in 2016 blamed both in jihadists and Kurdish militants that have left dozens dead.
One of the main cities of central Turkey, Kayersi is a key industrial hub that is usually seen as a peaceful area.
It is well west of the southeast of the country that has been hit by months of deadly fighting between Kurdish militants and the security forces.
