Turkey Arrests Man with Fake Bomb outside Erdogan's Office
Turkish police arrested a "mentally unstable" man carrying a fake bomb outside the office of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, officials said, causing a security scare in the capital.
Local television stations had initially reported that police had shot and wounded the suspect but officials and witnesses later said they wrestled him to the ground and only fired shots in the air.
"This individual was carrying a device resembling a bomb but in fact it was not one," Interior Minister Muammer Guler told reporters, describing him as "mentally unstable".
Erdogan was at the headquarters of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) at the time and not in his office.
"Our security department is investigating whether or not the suspect is linked to any (illegal) group," Erdogan told reporters at Ankara airport before leaving for a trip to Russia.
"As a result of this investigation, the judiciary will make a decision," he said without elaborating.
Guler said the suspect had warned police of his plans ahead of time and that they were ready to seize him when he arrived, adding: "It's nothing serious."
Security was nevertheless boosted around the building in the Kizilay district in the heart of Ankara, and a police helicopter was seen hovering overhead.
Police identified the man as 52-year-old Tugrul Bayir, but gave no further information.
Ramazan Bal, head of the prime ministry security guard, denied that the suspect was shot.
"There is no suicide bomb. You'll see the man is uninjured when he stands before court tomorrow (Friday)," he told reporters.
A witness said the suspect was wearing a corset around his waist carrying some type of cement with cables attached as well as a black box.
"Security guards fired five or six times into the air. They didn't shoot him," the witness told AFP.
Police had initially asked the suspect to show some proof of identity as he approached the building and when he refused they threw themselves on him, local television reported.
Erdogan, who has been prime minister for 11 years but has become an increasingly polarizing figure in Turkey, is heading to Russia for a two-day trip.
The conflict in neighboring Syria is expected to top the agenda of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Turkey is a vociferous opponent of President Bashar Assad's regime and hosts the Syrian opposition, while Russia is Damascus's main ally.
In the past, Kurdish rebels or extreme left-wing groups have claimed attacks in Turkish cities.
In February this year, a Turkish security guard was killed and several people injured in a suicide bombing outside the highly-fortified U.S. embassy in Ankara.
The attack was claimed by radical Marxist group the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP-C).
Source: Agence France Presse
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