World Bulletin/News Desk

The Turkish far-left group DHKP-C has claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on police near the Turkish prime minister's office in Istanbul.

DHKP-C (Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front) was also behind a suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy last year as well as attacks on Turkish police stations.

A man carrying an automatic weapon was detained on Thursday near the historic Dolmabahce Palace in Turkey's largest city after he threw a grenade at police. The man named as Firat Ozcelik arrested on Friday.

In a statement posted on "The People's Cry" website, the group said the attack over against the ruling AK Party over the killing of 15-year-old Berkin Elvan, who died in March last year after nine months in a coma from a head wound sustained during Gezi riots.

The DHKP-C also called Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan the perpetrator of Elvan's death said it would hold his AK Party to account.

According to the Istanbul police department, the hand grenade did not explode. However, the suspect then allegedly tried to shoot at police officers using his gun and long-barreled weapon. But the police were able to overpower him when the attacker’s gun misfired.

It was not immediately clear if Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in the palace at the time, although both he and his predecessor, current President Tayyip Erdogan, have used the office there regularly.