A blast aboard a bus killed at least four people and injured seven in Istanbul, private NTV television reported Thursday afternoon. The bus explosion took place in the Fatih district, several miles away from where a NATO summit will be held next week.
Hours earlier, a small bomb exploded in front of the hotel where President George W. Bush is expected to stay when he visits Ankara this weekend, a security official said. One police officer lost his leg in the blast.
Bush is scheduled to arrive in Ankara late Saturday night and meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Sunday.
The injured police officer was standing near the bomb when it went off in the street, the security officer said. Ambulances were seen rushing to the scene.
Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said security would be heightened after the blast. Turkish media had been reporting that 7,000 police would be on duty in the capital for the expected Bush visit.
"Measures will be increased from now on," Sahin said. "There are people with bad intentions who can take every risk to fulfill their goal." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
