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CNN Live Saturday

Search Underway For Those Responsible For Synagogue Bombing In Turkey

Aired November 15, 2003 - 12:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Now, more on the two bombings at the synagogue in Istanbul. They came while Jewish worshippers were taking part in Sabbath services. And, while the death toll climes; the search for those responsible is underway. Right now, authorities say, the blast carried the hallmarks of a coordinated terror attack. Andrew Finkel is with us now, from Istanbul.
So Andrew, the first group that comes to mind when you hear the words "coordinated terror attack" are al-Qaeda. Is that who the Turkish authorities suspect?

ANDREW FINKEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, there exactly not clear who the attack is from, but I think they do believe that the attack may have originated from outside Turkey. Certainly the Israeli ambassador was here visiting the site behind me not too long ago, and he suggested that he thought it was al-Qaeda. We've had a suggestion from the Turkish foreign minister there were foreign forces behind this attack.

The only people to have claimed responsibility has been a small Turkish group and frankly, people here don't think they were up to the job. The fact it occurred in two separate places, two different parts of the city at relatively the same time of the day is being pointed to as having the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda attack, Andrea.

KOPPEL: So, was there any kind of advanced warning, Andrew? Did the Turkish government have any indication from their intelligence services perhaps, that an attack like this was being planned?

FINKEL: Well, I've been getting reports only recently, that perhaps, they did know that something was brewing, that for the last week-and-a-half, there had been some suggestion there would be an attack on a Turkish site and that there would be -- and that there was actually, increased security at this synagogue as a result of this.

Now, some people may remember that this Neve Shalom synagogue was the victim of an attack quite a long time ago, in 1986. Then, gunmen broke into the building, they shot up some of the worshippers, and as a result of that attack, I suppose you would call it a mixed blessing, the synagogue has been fortified. It's really very difficult to get in there without specific permission, there's a very strong blast wall -- retainer wall. And, it seems to me that the fact there was so much preparation for an eventuality, even if they didn't know the exact timing of the attack prevented more casualties than there might have been -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Andrew Finkel for us there, in Istanbul. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Bombing In Turkey>


Aired November 15, 2003 - 12:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Now, more on the two bombings at the synagogue in Istanbul. They came while Jewish worshippers were taking part in Sabbath services. And, while the death toll climes; the search for those responsible is underway. Right now, authorities say, the blast carried the hallmarks of a coordinated terror attack. Andrew Finkel is with us now, from Istanbul.
So Andrew, the first group that comes to mind when you hear the words "coordinated terror attack" are al-Qaeda. Is that who the Turkish authorities suspect?

ANDREW FINKEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, there exactly not clear who the attack is from, but I think they do believe that the attack may have originated from outside Turkey. Certainly the Israeli ambassador was here visiting the site behind me not too long ago, and he suggested that he thought it was al-Qaeda. We've had a suggestion from the Turkish foreign minister there were foreign forces behind this attack.

The only people to have claimed responsibility has been a small Turkish group and frankly, people here don't think they were up to the job. The fact it occurred in two separate places, two different parts of the city at relatively the same time of the day is being pointed to as having the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda attack, Andrea.

KOPPEL: So, was there any kind of advanced warning, Andrew? Did the Turkish government have any indication from their intelligence services perhaps, that an attack like this was being planned?

FINKEL: Well, I've been getting reports only recently, that perhaps, they did know that something was brewing, that for the last week-and-a-half, there had been some suggestion there would be an attack on a Turkish site and that there would be -- and that there was actually, increased security at this synagogue as a result of this.

Now, some people may remember that this Neve Shalom synagogue was the victim of an attack quite a long time ago, in 1986. Then, gunmen broke into the building, they shot up some of the worshippers, and as a result of that attack, I suppose you would call it a mixed blessing, the synagogue has been fortified. It's really very difficult to get in there without specific permission, there's a very strong blast wall -- retainer wall. And, it seems to me that the fact there was so much preparation for an eventuality, even if they didn't know the exact timing of the attack prevented more casualties than there might have been -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Andrew Finkel for us there, in Istanbul. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Bombing In Turkey>