Istanbul had already been hit by two deadly bombings in January and March 2016, both of which had been claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

[7] The attack targeted Çevik Kuvvet police forces that were changing guard in front of the Faculty of Sciences and Literature of Istanbul University.

Initial assessments by Mete Yarar, a security analyst, stated that three organizations active in Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), ISIL or Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C) could all be responsible for the blast.

Cevat Öneş, former Assistant Undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization, stated that there was a high probability that the PKK was responsible for the attack, though the chances of the perpetrator being ISIL should not be disregarded.

There, he said that the distinction the terrorist organizations made between civilians, soldiers or police were of no interest to the state, and that it was in the end humans that were killed.

[15] Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu condemned the attack and drew attention to the fact that it took place on the second day of Ramadan.

[17] The Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement condemning the bombing, and expressing solidarity with the Government and the people of Turkey.