Police make arrests over Istanbul blasts

Updated: 18:41, Monday, 17 November 2003

Turkish police have arrested several people in connection with Saturday's bomb blasts on two synagogues which killed 23 people and wounded more than 300.

Istanbul blasts  Reports say Al-Qaeda responsible Istanbul blasts Reports say Al-Qaeda responsible

Turkish police have arrested several people in connection with Saturday's bomb blasts on two synagogues which killed 23 people and wounded more than 300.

Four other people detained yesterday were subsequently released.

Meanwhile, Turkey has repeated its call for a united international effort to combat terrorism, and slammed unnamed nations for shedding 'crocodile tears' over the deadly bombings.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said yesterday that Turkish intelligence was investigating claims that al-Qaeda was behind the attacks, but he did not elaborate today.

The claim was made in the form of an e-mail to a London-based Arabic language newspaper.

There are reports in the Turkish media that the attacks were caused by suicide bombers driving two lorries, each loaded with 400 kilos of explosives.

It is also claimed that the terrorist group is responsible for an attack on an Italian police post in southern Iraq. 19 Italians died in the Nasiriyah blast.

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