A solid majority of Turkish voters approved sweeping changes to their military-era constitution – a referendum hailed by the government as a leap towards full democracy in line with its troubled bid to join the European Union.

EIGHT men suspected of gunning down 44 people during an engagement ceremony were arrested yesterday, accused of killing the betrothed couple – whose wedding they opposed – along with relatives and friends in a 15-minute rampage.

Eight gunmen accused of killing 44 people including the bride and groom to be at an engagement ceremony in rural Turkey were being questioned by police today.

Masked assailants with grenades and automatic weapons attacked a wedding ceremony in southeast Turkey, killing 45 people and wounding six others.

THOUSANDS of rescue workers searched the snow-covered mountains of central Turkey yesterday for survivors of a helicopter crash as an injured passenger appealed for help in a television broadcast.

Thousands of rescuers were today searching for the sole survivor of a Turkish helicopter crash who made desperate plea for help on a mobile phone.

Turkey’s interior minister says a number of suspects in last week’s deadly bombings in Istanbul have been arrested.

Four suspects have been detained in connection with the attack on the US consulate in Istanbul, it was reported today.

MEN armed with pistols and shotguns attacked a police guard post outside the US consulate in Istanbul, sparking a gunbattle that left three attackers and three officers dead.

Armed men opened fire today on Turkish police guarding the front entrance to the US consulate in Istanbul, killing three policemen in what Turkish and US officials called a terrorist attack. Three assailants were also reported killed.