The explosions in Ankara, which occurred just minutes and yards apart, killed at least 95 people and injured 246 more as they gathered to call for an end to the violence that has flared between Turkish security forces and Kurdish separatists in recent months.

Turkey, a NATO member and key U.S. ally, shares borders with Syria, Iraq, and Iran - all of which are embroiled in the conflict with the Islamic State. Turkish officials have confronted Russia over the latter's violation of Turkey's airspace in recent days, as Russian warplanes launch strikes against Syrian rebels, heightening tensions. The renewal of Turkey's decades-old struggle with the Kurds could destabilize the region further. Ethnic Kurds have also accused Turkish authorities of failing to protect them from what they say is violent spillover from Syria's civil war.