ISTANBUL, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Eleven days after the bloody explosion that rocked the busiest pedestrian avenue in Istanbul, additional security measures have been taken with a heavy presence of police patrolling the area.
The Istiklal Avenue, lined with stores of famous brands, cafes, and bars, is flooded with people as usual.
"Many additional security measures have been taken since the bomb explosion," Haydar Ali Yildiz, mayor of Beyoglu district, told reporters on Tuesday.
The number of security officials and undercover police officers patrolling the avenue has increased considerably.
Also, the benches and potted trees along the avenue have been removed for security reasons after CCTV cameras revealed that the perpetrator sat on a bench for hours before carrying out the assault.
On Nov. 13, six people were killed and more than 80 others wounded when a bomb exploded in front of a large clothing store on the avenue. The sound of the blast rippled through the entire historic Beyoglu district on the European side of the city, causing severe panic.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu launched morale tours on the avenue, talking with the residents, shop owners, and business people every morning and listening to their problems and challenges.
"We are happy when we see the enthusiasm and excitement of people on Istiklal are coming back," Imamoglu said in the latest video posted on his Twitter account Thursday.
Hotels across Istanbul are currently at full capacity after temporarily losing some of their clients right after the attack, according to local officials.
The avenue is among the hottest tourist destinations for tourists and citizens alike, attracting about 500,000 people each day.
The assailant, a Syrian national named Ahlam Albashir, was captured in an apartment in the Kucukcekmece district on the European side soon after the attack. Her interrogation disclosed that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Syria-based People's Protection Units (YPG) were behind the attack.
The avenue was also targeted on March 19, 2016, when an Islamic State militant detonated his suicide vest, killing five people and wounding 36.
