3 police, 3 assailants killed in Istanbul shootout; al-Qaida link probed
The Associated Press
updated 8:35 a.m. ET, Thurs., July. 10, 2008
ISTANBUL, Turkey - Four suspects have been detained in connection with the attack on the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, a Turkey news agency reported Thursday.
The Dogan news agency quoted Interior Minister Besir Atalay as saying that four were in custody. The attack Wednesday resulted in the deaths of three policemen and three assailants.
One of the assailants escaped in a getaway car. It was not immediately clear if he was among the four detained Thursday.
Meantime, investigators are trying to determine whether of one of the gunmen in the attack was linked to al-Qaida terrorists.
Erkan Kargin, one of the three attackers killed by police, had traveled to Afghanistan, said a government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Police have said they suspect the armed men were linked to al-Qaida even though the assault did not match the terror group's usual hallmarks, such as coordinated attacks by suicide bombers that cause mass casualties.
"They chose one of the best protected buildings in Turkey, not because they wanted to blow it up, but because they knew it would attract world attention," said Ihsan Bal, head of terrorism studies at Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization.
All Turkish assailants
The bearded gunmen emerged from a car and shot a traffic officer dead, then swarmed the guard quarters at the entrance to the consulate, where two policemen were killed, according to security video. Officers fired back, killing three of the assailants — all Turks — as bystanders fled for cover.
Turkish authorities have been increasingly targeting suspected Islamic militants since al-Qaida-linked suicide bombers killed 58 people in 2003 by targeting two synagogues, the British consulate and a British bank in Istanbul.
Turkey also has been cracking down on both ultranationalists who have attacked Christians and on Kurdish rebels, two groups it deems a threat to the country's security.
"There is nothing more sensational than attacking the U.S. consulate for an Islamic militant," said Emin Demirel, a Turkish terrorism expert and author of "Al-Qaida Elements in Turkey." "However, this attack certainly lacks the sophisticated hallmarks of al-Qaida."
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Turkey's foreign ministry said security around all American diplomatic missions in Turkey had been increased.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25618927/
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
09 July 2008
Turkey consulate attack 'terrorism,' says U.S. envoy
Story Highlights
NEW: U.S. ambassador says shootout was 'obvious act of terrorism'
Turkey: Armed men have opened fire from a vehicle outside the U.S. consulate
CNN-Turk reports that at least six people were killed in the gun battle
People in the heavily fortified building were not hurt
ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- The shootout outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul which left six people dead was an "obvious act of terrorism," the U.S. ambassador to Turkey says.
Speaking to reporters in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Ross Wilson said he had asked Turkey to implement additional security measures after gunmen Wednesday pulled up in a car and opened fire at a police security checkpoint at the consulate entrance.
"I'm not in a position to speculate on who this is or why they have carried out this action," Wilson said. "But any time there is an attack on diplomatic establishment... (it) is more or less by definition is an act of terrorism."
"Our countries will stand together to confront this as we have confronted some other problems in the past," he added. Watch emergency staff helping victim »
Three police officers and three assailants were killed in the shootout near the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, the city's governor said.
Two other police officers were wounded in the attack. A U.S. consulate official said no American citizens or employees were hurt. Are you there? Send photos, videos
Gunmen pulled up in a white car and opened fire at a police security checkpoint at the outer entrance of the consulate, Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler told reporters at the scene. Watch shootout victims being taken to hospital »
Police fired back, resulting in a three- to five-minute gun battle, Ivan Watson, a journalist with National Public Radio reporting from the scene, told CNN.
Guler said the dead included three police officers and three assailants. Authorities did not immediately know whether the attackers were affiliated with any organization, he said. Watch footage from the scene »
People waiting to obtain visas inside the heavily fortified building were not hurt. The outer entrance is more than 30m (100ft) from the main building which sits atop a hilltop.
At least three bodies remained on the ground as ambulances pulled up and police cordoned off the area with yellow tape and waved off onlookers.
The most recent attack on a foreign mission in Turkey was in November 2003 when a string of bombings in Istanbul targeted the British consulate, along with two synagogues and a British-owned bank. The blasts killed more than 70 people, including the British consul general, and wounded hundreds.
Turkey is a secular country that is predominantly Muslim. There has been a lot of tension in the country between secularist and traditional Muslims, and the state has been battling Kurdish separatists for many years.
CNN's Ben Blake and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/09/turkey.usconsulate/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
NEW: U.S. ambassador says shootout was 'obvious act of terrorism'
Turkey: Armed men have opened fire from a vehicle outside the U.S. consulate
CNN-Turk reports that at least six people were killed in the gun battle
People in the heavily fortified building were not hurt
ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- The shootout outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul which left six people dead was an "obvious act of terrorism," the U.S. ambassador to Turkey says.
Speaking to reporters in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Ross Wilson said he had asked Turkey to implement additional security measures after gunmen Wednesday pulled up in a car and opened fire at a police security checkpoint at the consulate entrance.
"I'm not in a position to speculate on who this is or why they have carried out this action," Wilson said. "But any time there is an attack on diplomatic establishment... (it) is more or less by definition is an act of terrorism."
"Our countries will stand together to confront this as we have confronted some other problems in the past," he added. Watch emergency staff helping victim »
Three police officers and three assailants were killed in the shootout near the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, the city's governor said.
Two other police officers were wounded in the attack. A U.S. consulate official said no American citizens or employees were hurt. Are you there? Send photos, videos
Gunmen pulled up in a white car and opened fire at a police security checkpoint at the outer entrance of the consulate, Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler told reporters at the scene. Watch shootout victims being taken to hospital »
Police fired back, resulting in a three- to five-minute gun battle, Ivan Watson, a journalist with National Public Radio reporting from the scene, told CNN.
Guler said the dead included three police officers and three assailants. Authorities did not immediately know whether the attackers were affiliated with any organization, he said. Watch footage from the scene »
People waiting to obtain visas inside the heavily fortified building were not hurt. The outer entrance is more than 30m (100ft) from the main building which sits atop a hilltop.
At least three bodies remained on the ground as ambulances pulled up and police cordoned off the area with yellow tape and waved off onlookers.
The most recent attack on a foreign mission in Turkey was in November 2003 when a string of bombings in Istanbul targeted the British consulate, along with two synagogues and a British-owned bank. The blasts killed more than 70 people, including the British consul general, and wounded hundreds.
Turkey is a secular country that is predominantly Muslim. There has been a lot of tension in the country between secularist and traditional Muslims, and the state has been battling Kurdish separatists for many years.
CNN's Ben Blake and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/09/turkey.usconsulate/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
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