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Turkey says Kurdish rebels were behind Istanbul bombings

Turkish police have detained for questioning eight people with alleged links to Kurdish rebels following bomb attacks against two small hotels in Istanbul and a liquefied petroleum gas plant, police officials said yesterday.

A previously unknown Kurdish group claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn bomb attacks Tuesday that killed two people and wounded 11 others. An al-Qaeda-linked group also claimed responsibility in a statement posted on a Web site, but Turkish authorities cast doubt on that claim, saying Kurdish separatists were suspected.

Police officials, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said authorities were questioning the eight, who were detained Tuesday and yesterday and suspected of links to militant Kurdish groups, about the bombings. However, police said it was too early to say if any charges might be brought against them. The officials provided no other details about those in custody.

An Iranian and a Turk were killed in the bombings at the two hotels, inexpensive lodging popular among foreign tourists. The wounded included four Spanish tourists, two Dutch tourists, a Ukrainian and two Chinese tourists, authorities said.

A senior Turkish police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Turkish authorities had no information to suggest any links to al-Qaeda, and police suspected involvement by Kurdish rebels.

Another police official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that explosives used in Tuesday's attacks were similar to those used in a July car bombing in eastern Van province that killed three people and wounded two dozen others. That attack was blamed on Kurdish militants, who denied involvement.
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