ISTANBUL - Explosions occurred on Saturday in two vehicles loaded with bombs in Istanbul. The blasts occurred in front of two synagogues on Kuledibi and Osmanbey streets in Istanbul when people gathered at the synagogues for Saturday prayer.
Twenty people died and 257 people were injured in the explosions.
Sources told A.A correspondent that two vehicles loaded with bombs exploded in front of Neve Shalom Synagogue on Kuledibi street at 9.29 a.m. and in front of Betyaakov Synagogue on Osmanbey Nakiye Ergul street at 9.30 a.m.
The explosions were also heard in nearby districts.
The blasts damaged the external part of Neve Shalom Synagogue while Betyaakov Synagogue partially collapsed.
Health and police teams and fire-fighters asked for reinforcement when they saw the dimensions of the explosions.
Twenty-six ambulances and health teams were sent to the spot of explosions as there were many reports of casualties.
Besides people who attended the Saturday prayer in the synagogues, passersby and people in the vicinity were injured.
Ishak Haleva, the Chief Rabbi in Turkey, and Bensiyon Pinto, the head of Jewish Community in Turkey, were also at Sisli Betyaakov Synagogue during explosions.
Chief rabbi Haleva suffered minor injuries in his hand. Haleva received medical treatment at home while his son Yoseph Haleva was taken under medical treatment in American Hospital.
The synagogue was evacuated after the explosions. The injured were sent to nearby hospitals by vehicles passing on the street and ambulances.
Footage from security cameras showed a red car exploding in front of Neve Shalom Synagogue.
Sisli, Beyoglu and State Security Court (DGM) prosecutors on duty investigated the spot of the blasts.
DGM Chief Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin, who said that ''explosions were similar to a terrorist attack,'' launched an investigation.
One policeman named Bulent Bostanoglu, who was protecting Sisli Betyaakov Synagogue, died in the blast.
Policeman Hamdi Aslan who was protecting Neve Shalom Synagogue was taken to Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine Hospital since he was injured in the explosion.
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu came to Istanbul after the two explosions and visited the spot of blasts with Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler.
Experts are trying to determine the type of the explosives used in the two blasts.
Security measures were tightened around houses, schools and foundations belonging to the Jewish people.
Twenty people died and 257 were injured in the blasts. The injured were taken under medical treatment in many hospitals in Istanbul.
REACTIONS TO EXPLOSIONS
Here are the reactions coming from foreign countries to the explosions occurred on Saturday in two vehicles loaded with bombs in Istanbul.
-FIRST REACTION AND CONDEMNATION COMES FROM ISRAEL
Many countries reacted to the explosions which occurred in Istanbul on Saturday. Those countries condemned the attacks through messages or telephone calls.
The first reaction came from Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom spoke to Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul by phone and offered condolences following two blasts in Istanbul.
Diplomatic sources said that Shalom telephoned Gul and offered condolences for those who died in two explosions in Istanbul.
Shalom proposed help while Gul thanked for this proposal. Foreign Minister Gul informed Shalom about preliminary information about the two blasts.
Shalom also made a statement and said he hoped international community would not be content with condemning the attacks, but that it would launch a strong action against terrorism which interested the whole world.
Foreign Minister Gul also had a phone conversation with Bensiyon Pinto, the head of the Turkish Jewish Society, and received information about the blasts.
U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell called Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on the phone and offered condolences over people who died in blasts in Istanbul.
Diplomatic sources said that Powell spoke to Gul by phone and wished condolences to Turkish people.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw sent a condolence message to Gul over the two blasts near synagogues in Istanbul.
-REACTION FROM EU-
Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, made a written statement and condemned terrorist attacks in Istanbul.
Solana said the attacks close to the two synagogues were an unacceptable expression of intolerance and rejection that had to be eradicated.
Solana's statement expressed horror after the two terrorist attacks that killed many innocents. He offered condolences to the government and victims' families.
In a separate statement, the EU's head office called the bombings horrific terrorist attacks. The European Commission said it would continue to give a high priority to the fight against international terrorism.
Commission President Romano Prodi visited a synagogue in the Italian city of Milan to personally convey his sincerest sorrow to the Jewish communities, the EU statement said.
-REACTIONS FROM GERMANY AND FRANCE-
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent a message to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the attacks.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent a message of condolences expressing sympathy with the Turkish people and the victims' families. Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer made a written statement on behalf of German government and said they condemned the attacks on behalf of German government.
French President Jacques Chirac sent a message to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and stated that France shared sorrows of Turkey following the explosions.
-GREECE AND OTHER COUNTRIES-
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis send messages of condolences to Prime Minister Erdogan.
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou also made a written statement and said they condemned attacks in Istanbul killing innocent civilians.
Papandreou called Foreign Minister Gul on the phone and conveyed his condolences.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Louis Michel also condemned the terrorist attacks targeting two synagogues in Istanbul.
Spanish Foreign Minister Anna Pallacio also called Gul to offer his condolences.
Pope John Paul II sent his condolences to Turkey on Saturday after car bombs exploded outside two Istanbul synagogues and called for an end to violence.
-TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS-
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said he condemned the attacks, stressing that terrorism did not help anybody to reach anywhere.
Denktas said innocent people were killed and injured in the attacks.
Pakistani President Pervaz Musharraf sent a message to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer expressing his support to Turkish nation. Musharraf wished those responsible for the attack to be caught soon, and brought in front of justice.
Pakistani Prime Minister Zaferullah Khan Cemali sent a message to Erdogan and said they condemned the attacks.
Bulgarian and Romanian foreign ministers also called FM Gul to express their condolences.
(BRC-AY) 15.11.2003