Turkish police detained a suspect believed to be carrying an explosive device outside Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s offices in Ankara. The alleged bomber was taken into custody, with earlier reports incorrectly saying he was shot by police.
Police are investigating whether the suspect, identified as 52-year-old Tuğrul B., was carrying explosives when he attempted to breach a security cordon near the prime minister’s office in the capital.
Police reportedly fired three warning shots into the air after the suspect refused to show his ID card and then failed to comply with an order to stop, according to the newspaper Today’s Zaman. Government security guards reportedly pounced on the suspect when he attempted to detonate the suspected bomb, restraining his arms to prevent the attack. The suspect was then taken to Cankaya Police Department to undergo investigation.
The state-run Anadolu Agency earlier reported that the suspect was hospitalized after being shot in the foot, Hurriyet daily reports. Eyewitnesses also told the Cihan news agency that the man was shot by guards.
Initial reports said the man had been shot dead at the scene of the incident.
The incident comes as Prime Minister Erdogan is set to arrive in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Thursday to attend a High-Level Cooperation Council with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the ongoing crisis in Syria likely to top the agenda.
