Jul 10, 2008 8:00 am US/Central
Investigators Eye Al Qaeda Link In Embassy Attack
One Gunman Traveled To Afghanistan
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) ―
Turkish investigators are trying to determine whether of one of the gunmen in a deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Istanbul was linked to al Qaeda terrorists, an official said Thursday.
Erkan Kargin, one of the three attackers killed by police outside the consulate Wednesday, had traveled to Afghanistan, said a government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Police have said they suspect the armed men were linked to al Qaeda even though the assault did not match the terror group's usual hallmarks, such as coordinated attacks by suicide bombers that cause mass casualties.
The Dogan news agency quoted Interior Minister Besir Atalay as saying Thursday that four people had been detained as part of the investigation into the attack, which resulted in the deaths of three police officers along with the three assailants.
One of the assailants fled the scene in a car. It was not immediately clear if he was among the four detained Thursday.
"They chose one of the best protected buildings in Turkey, not because they wanted to blew it up, but because they knew it would attract world attention," said Ihsan Bal, head of terrorism studies at Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization.
The bearded gunmen emerged from a car and shot a traffic officer dead, then swarmed the guard quarters at the entrance to the consulate, where two policemen were killed, according to security video. Officers fired back, killing three of the assailants - all Turks - as bystanders fled for cover.
Turkish authorities have been increasingly targeting suspected Islamic militants since al Qaeda-linked suicide bombers killed 58 people in 2003 by targeting two synagogues, the British consulate and a British bank in Istanbul.
Turkey also has been cracking down on both ultranationalists who have attacked Christians and on Kurdish rebels, two groups it deems a threat to the country's security.
"There is nothing more sensational than attacking the U.S. consulate for an Islamic militant," said Emin Demirel, a Turkish terrorism expert and author of "Al Qaeda Elements in Turkey." "However, this attack certainly lacks the sophisticated hallmarks of al Qaeda."
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