Al-Qaida suspected in Turkish massacre

ISRAELI and Turkish investigators combed the wreckage of two bombed synagogues yesterday, with early evidence showing the explosions during Sabbath morning prayers were highly organised suicide attacks.

The investigators concluded that the bombs were possibly the work of al-Qaida or other international terrorist groups.

Four people had been questioned about the attacks but were released after authorities concluded they were not linked to the bombings.

Forensic experts found more human remains among the rubble, raising the death toll for Saturday's truck bombings to 23. Of the more than 300 wounded, 71 people remained hospitalised yesterday afternoon.

One forensic specialist, Dr Keramettin Kurt, said two bodies were found with wire contrivances on them, according to the daily Millyet newspaper. That suggests suicide attackers might have detonated the explosive-laden pickup trucks as they drove past the buildings.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom flew to Istanbul to show solidarity with the small Sephardic Jewish community in this predominantly Muslim nation, which is an ally of Israel and the United States.

"These attacks against prayers were cowardly attacks carried out by extremists who don't want to see countries that are sharing values of democracy, freedom and rule of law," Mr Shalom said.

While at least six Jews were among the dead, most of the victims were Muslims passing by the synagogues when the bombs went off, a few minutes and three miles apart.

Standing by the side of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on the front steps of a local government building, Mr Shalom expressed his condolences to families of the Muslim victims.

The ministers told reporters it was too early to talk about the investigation, but details, cited by Turkish media, indicated the near-simultaneous attacks were the work of meticulous, long-range planning.

The semi-official Anatolia news agency quoted a senior police official as saying each pickup truck was packed with some 880 pounds of explosives, a mix of ammonium sulphate, nitrate and compressed fuel oil.

The explosives had been hidden in containers wrapped in sacks and surrounded by detergent containers, Anatolia said.

Private NTV Turkish television reported that intelligence officials were questioning three people, including two women, about the bombings.

In Israel, police spokesman Gil Kleiman said Israel sent two explosives and two forensics experts to Turkey on Saturday night.

The experts will enter the type of explosives and other evidence into a database to try to learn the identity of the attackers or source of the bomb materials, a high-ranking Israeli police source said.

Authorities were sceptical about a Turkish radical Islamic group's claim that it carried out the bombings, questioning whether it was capable of carrying out such co-ordinated attacks.