Thirteen Turkish soldiers have been killed and 48 wounded in a car bomb blast that targeted a bus transporting them in the central city of Kayseri.
The soldiers - all low-ranking privates and non-commissioned officers - had been given permission for leave from the commando headquarters in the city, the Turkish army said in a statement. The wounded were being treated in hospital while there could also be additional civilian casualties, it added.
Initial television images showed the bus had been reduced to a smouldering wreck by the impact of the blast.
The Dogan news agency said that the blast took place opposite the Erciyes University in the city.
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, Kayseri 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.
With AFP.