Life for bomber of minibus in which Irish tourist died

A Kurdish separatist was convicted today of a minibus blast in 2005 that killed five people including Waterford teenager Tara Whelan.

Mehmet Sirac Keskin has been on trial in Turkey since 2006 for the bombing in the Aegean resort town of Kusadasi.

Ms, Whelan, 17, of Kilmeaden, was killed along with a British tourist and three Turks.

The court sentenced Keskin to life on charges of membership of the outlawed Kurdish rebel group, the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party).

It handed down a further sentence of 161 years in prison for the deaths of the five victims, for wounding 10 other passengers and possessing explosives.

Keskin acknowledged during his trial membership being a member of the PKK but denied having planted the bomb.