ISTANBUL, 22 November 2003 — Turkish investigators arrested an undisclosed number of suspects yesterday in the deadly suicide bombings on the British Consulate and a London-based bank that were blamed on Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s top leaders discussed an intelligence report that hundreds of Turkish radicals are believed to have fought in foreign conflicts and some could have returned to work with militant groups, an official said.
Foreign governments warned terrorists could strike again in Turkey and issued travel warnings to their citizens.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul confirmed the arrests in Thursday’s bombing, but declined to give details. “Some people have been arrested, but it’s too early to give information about them,” he told a news conference.
The daily newspaper Hurriyet said police were interrogating seven people in connection with the attack, which killed 27 people and two bombers in Turkey’s worst-ever terrorist bombing. The attacks came days after bombings at two Istanbul synagogues killed 23 in addition to two suicide bombers.
According to the Hurriyet report, police believe they have identified the suicide bombers as two Turkish men previously named as accomplices of the synagogue bombers. Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler refused to give details of those arrested “for the well-being of the investigations.”
At least three groups or individuals alleging links to Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks.
One called the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades posted a website statement saying it struck “to let Britain and the Brits know that their alliance with America will only bring them economic ruin and death to their sons.”
Another claim came from an alleged Al-Qaeda operative, Abu Mohammed Al-Ablaj, in a statement sent to the London-based Al-Majalla weekly.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s top political and military leaders met to discuss possible collaboration between Al-Qaeda and local militant groups, an official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
Hundreds of Turks are believed to have fought in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Chechnya and there is suspicion that some of those Turks may have forged ties with radical groups like Al-Qaeda, the official said.
The Hurriyet newspaper reported that the National Security Council meeting, chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, would concentrate on a report that focuses on Al-Qaeda “as well as the works of religious terrorist groups that support this group, infiltrations into various parts of society in order to recruit supports and their activities.”
