ISTANBUL - Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said on Tuesday that 18 people were arrested over the past week in raids of Istanbul homes, including those who were planning new suicide bombings.
Guler, who spoke at a news conference, said the materials seized in operations of Istanbul police could be used in live bomb attacks.
Governor Guler said two suicide bombers, identified as Engin Vural and Nihat Dogruel, launched armed and bomb attack on the Free and Accepted Masons Grand Lodge Association in Kartal district of Istanbul on March 9, 2004.
Guler said one official of the association died, and five others, including a security guard, were injured in the attack. He said Nihat Dogruel, one of the assailants, died on the spot and that Engin Vural was hospitalized.
Guler said weapon, cartridge, firebombs and bombs ready to explode were found on the spot.
Replying to questions of reporters, Guler said they were continuing to search for links of this formation with other terrorist groups like al Quaida. He said, ''its links with known organizations have not been determined yet.''
Guler said murderer of Yasef Yahya, the Jewish origin dentist, would be tried in Istanbul State Security Court (DGM). He said interrogation of a new detainee continued, noting that, ''we know that one person killed him, but we think the three others that were captured had links with the murder.''
When asked whether or not the injured terrorist could be interrogated, Guler said, ''he is not yet at the stage of interrogation. We evaluate previous information.''
When a journalist asked which country they had gone, Guler said, ''we know that those got training in Afghanistan and Pakistan previously.''
(AY-AÖ) 16.03.2004