Turkish authorities investigate al-Qaeda claims
Turkish officials are investigating claims that the al-Qaeda network was responsible for the bomb attacks on synagogues in Istanbul.
The bombing of two synagogues within minutes on Sunday left 23 dead and more than 300 injured.
On Sunday the London-based Arabic newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi said it had received a statement from al-Qaeda in an email, in which the terrorist group claimed to have targeted the synagogues because Israeli agents were working there.
The statement, released by the paper to news agencies, added that the network was planning more car bombings against the United States, Britain, Italy, Australia and Japan.
The same cell, the Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz al-Masri, claimed responsibility for the attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad in August which killed 23 people.
Turkey and Israel have vowed to hunt out those responsible for the attacks.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said no stone would be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice.
He is due to call a cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss the attacks.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom visited the bombed synagogues, accompanied by the mayor of Istanbul and the city’s chief rabbi.
Most of those killed in the attacks were Muslim Turks, who lived near the synagogues, or were merely passing by when the explosions happened.
