Death toll from Istanbul bombing climbs to 38, minister says

The death toll from the bombing outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul has risen to 38 people, including 30 police officers, Turkey's interior minister said on Sunday, adding that Kurdish militants were believed to be responsible.

"According to the latest information we have received, 38 of our nation's children have reached martyrdom after last night's cruel attack," Suleyman Soylu told a news conference. He said seven victims were civilians and one remained unidentified.

The two bombs exploded less than a minute apart on Saturday night, in a coordinated attack on police shortly after a soccer match between two of Turkey's top teams.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim ordered flags flown at half mast to commemorate the victims, state-run Anadolu Agency said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled a planned trip to Kazakhstan, his office said. Erdogan described the blasts as a terrorist attack on police and civilians. He said the aim of the bombings, two hours after the end of a match attended by thousands of people, had been to cause the maximum number of casualties.

"Nobody should doubt that with God's will, we as a country and a nation will overcome terror, terrorist organisations ... and the forces behind them," he said in a statement. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group has been blamed for some bombings in Turkey in 2016, while others have been claimed by Kurdish militants. The blasts came less than a week after Islamic State urged its supporters to target Turkey's "security, military, economic and media establishment".