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New Claims of Responsibility in Istanbul Bombings

Aired November 21, 2003 - 13:09   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And now the blasts in Istanbul. Turkey's foreign minister says several people have been arrested after yesterday's twin explosions. At least 30 died, 450 injured in those attacks. And there are no -- there are new claims, I should say, of responsibility. Chris Burns is live now from Istanbul with the latest. Hello, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. It's very bustling over my shoulder. This is the back side of the British consulate. They reopened this main thoroughfare here. However, on the other side it remains a wasteland, blocked off to the public as they continue with their investigation. The death toll, as you said, is now 30, it has gone off by 3 today, and officials say it could go up even further.

Funerals today for a number of the victims. If you combine the two attacks, yesterday and the two against the two synagogues last weekend, you're talking more than 50 dead and you're talking more than 750 people injured. And that is what people are caring for, they're burying them. They're caring for them also in hospitals. We're talking about people who are fighting for their lives. So the death toll could very well continue to rise.

Now, they're very -- very important symbolic show today between the foreign ministers of Britain and Turkey as they joined together in visiting the sites of those explosions. Yesterday, the British consulate here, as well as the HSBC Bank headquarters, just a couple miles away. Their statement, telling the press they intend to show whoever tried to pull off this attack did not drive a wedge between Turkey and its Western allies.

In fact, as Turkey is -- has been a member of NATO for the last 55 years, Jack Straw, the British foreign minister said, that Turkey -- this is even more of a reason for Turkey to join the European Union and be very well anchored into the West.

Now the investigation continues on. Officials say, Yes there have been claims of responsibility, some by local domestic groups, others by international groups. Has yet to be confirmed. So very difficult to say -- to list all those groups.

But officials do believe that al Qaeda or some other international group was at least providing some kind of support and perhaps even master-minding these attacks, these four attacks in five days -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: This is -- I guess the moment a lot of Turks have dreaded. And the respond is so important right now. The Turkish National Security Council meeting. What are they likely to do, announce, by way of any sort of crackdown?

BURNS: Well, like other national security councils around the world, they tend to keep their cards close to their chest. They did just wrap up that meeting, just moments ago. The prime minister, Mr. Erdogan, shared that meeting.

According to press report, it is believed -- the press reports are saying it's a list of more than 1,000 suspects who live in Turkey, about 150 of them Turkish but the rest from other countries who had training or other experience in Afghanistan, Iran, Chechnya, Bosnia, and they want to keep a close look on these people. They have to decide whether to round them up what to do with them could they be ticking bombs, sleeper cells? That is the question.

As officials hope there might not be another attack, but they dread there could be. The U.S. embassy is telling Americans to be very careful, that there very well could be another attack and they should lie low for now -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Chris Burns in Istanbul. Thank you 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






Aired November 21, 2003 - 13:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And now the blasts in Istanbul. Turkey's foreign minister says several people have been arrested after yesterday's twin explosions. At least 30 died, 450 injured in those attacks. And there are no -- there are new claims, I should say, of responsibility. Chris Burns is live now from Istanbul with the latest. Hello, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. It's very bustling over my shoulder. This is the back side of the British consulate. They reopened this main thoroughfare here. However, on the other side it remains a wasteland, blocked off to the public as they continue with their investigation. The death toll, as you said, is now 30, it has gone off by 3 today, and officials say it could go up even further.

Funerals today for a number of the victims. If you combine the two attacks, yesterday and the two against the two synagogues last weekend, you're talking more than 50 dead and you're talking more than 750 people injured. And that is what people are caring for, they're burying them. They're caring for them also in hospitals. We're talking about people who are fighting for their lives. So the death toll could very well continue to rise.

Now, they're very -- very important symbolic show today between the foreign ministers of Britain and Turkey as they joined together in visiting the sites of those explosions. Yesterday, the British consulate here, as well as the HSBC Bank headquarters, just a couple miles away. Their statement, telling the press they intend to show whoever tried to pull off this attack did not drive a wedge between Turkey and its Western allies.

In fact, as Turkey is -- has been a member of NATO for the last 55 years, Jack Straw, the British foreign minister said, that Turkey -- this is even more of a reason for Turkey to join the European Union and be very well anchored into the West.

Now the investigation continues on. Officials say, Yes there have been claims of responsibility, some by local domestic groups, others by international groups. Has yet to be confirmed. So very difficult to say -- to list all those groups.

But officials do believe that al Qaeda or some other international group was at least providing some kind of support and perhaps even master-minding these attacks, these four attacks in five days -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: This is -- I guess the moment a lot of Turks have dreaded. And the respond is so important right now. The Turkish National Security Council meeting. What are they likely to do, announce, by way of any sort of crackdown?

BURNS: Well, like other national security councils around the world, they tend to keep their cards close to their chest. They did just wrap up that meeting, just moments ago. The prime minister, Mr. Erdogan, shared that meeting.

According to press report, it is believed -- the press reports are saying it's a list of more than 1,000 suspects who live in Turkey, about 150 of them Turkish but the rest from other countries who had training or other experience in Afghanistan, Iran, Chechnya, Bosnia, and they want to keep a close look on these people. They have to decide whether to round them up what to do with them could they be ticking bombs, sleeper cells? That is the question.

As officials hope there might not be another attack, but they dread there could be. The U.S. embassy is telling Americans to be very careful, that there very well could be another attack and they should lie low for now -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Chris Burns in Istanbul. Thank you 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