ISTANBUL - Turkish anti-terror police said Tuesday they detained six foreigners, reported by the media to be Chechens, who were allegedly collecting information on how to make bombs.
The suspects, detained in Istanbul on Friday, were also believed to be "in contact with religiously-motivated terrorist groups," the Istanbul police said in a statement, without disclosing their nationalities.
The Anatolia news agency identified the six as Chechens.
The police seized sketches and notes describing the mechanisms of bomb ignition switches, electronic circuits, computers and CDs in the suspects' homes, the statement said.
Two of the detainees had entered Turkey illegally and one held a fake passport, it said.
The suspects were to be handed over later Tuesday to judicial authorities who would decide whether to formally charge them.
Russia has long accused Ankara of turning a blind eye to the activities of Chechen militants in Turkey, but President Vladimir Putin said during a landmark visit to Ankara in December that Moscow was now satisfied with the anti-terror cooperation between the two countries.
The Chechen cause enjoys widespread support in Turkey, particularly among Islamists and Muslim communities of with ties to the Caucasus.
04/19/2005 12:59 GMT