55 people detained in Istanbul ahead of NATO summit
www.chinaview.cn 2004-06-26 05:19:56
ISTANBUL, June 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Turkey's anti-terror police on Friday detained 55 people in its largest city of Istanbul as part of security measures for the coming NATO summit due to open onMonday.
Among the detainees, 40 were arrested in one operation, who are suspected Islamist extremists believed to have trained in Afghanistan, Anatolia news agency reported.
Several foreigners were among those detained, including individuals believed to have received training in extremist camps in Afghanistan and to have fought in that country and Russian republic of Chechnya, unnamed sources were quoted as saying. Fifteen suspected Kurdish militants were also taken into police custody, including one man believed to have been sent to Istanbul to carry out bomb attacks, Anatolia reported.
Meanwhile, the CNN-Turk channel reported that Turkish security forces defused Friday a remote-controlled bomb placed under a carin the car park of Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. The device was designed to be detonated by telephone.
Turkish security forces have been on high alert as tension escalated Thursday when a bomb carried by a suspected far-left militant exploded in a public bus in the city, killing three passengers and wounding 12 others.
The NATO summit on Monday and Tuesday will be attended by leaders from NATO member states, including US President George W.Bush. Enditem
Dangerous days ahead.