AYDIN — 2005 · Major Tragedy

Kuşadası Minibus Bombing

ClosedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

At around 10:30 on the morning of 16 July 2005, a bomb exploded on a passenger minibus heading to Ladies Beach (Kadınlar Plajı) in Kuşadası, Aydın. Five people were killed, three Turkish citizens, one British and one Irish, and 13 were injured. The blast came at the height of the tourist season and received wide coverage abroad. It was counted among the attacks on tourist areas in those years attributed to the PKK-linked group TAK. One of the suspects was caught in Istanbul in April 2006. Years later, ruling on an individual application by the family of one of those killed, Turkey's Constitutional Court found a violation of the state's obligations to protect the right to life and awarded the family non-pecuniary damages.

Date: 2005
Place: Kuşadası, Aydın
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Closed
Coordinates: 37.8570, 27.2600 ↗

Timeline of Events

16 July 2005, 10:30A bomb exploded on a minibus heading to Ladies Beach.
16 July 2005Five people died and 13 were injured.

April 2006One of the suspects was caught in Istanbul.
Later yearsThe Constitutional Court awarded damages to a victim's family.

Sources

Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.