Turkey arrests 50 suspected of planning attacks - Summary

Istanbul - Turkish police and security forces have arrested some 50 suspected members of al-Qaeda who were planning attacks against US, Israeli and NATO targets in the country, local media reported. The broadcaster CNN-Turk reported that some of those arrested had had contact with Ayman al-Zawahri, the Egyptian believed to be second-in-command of the al-Qaeda group.

The broadcaster added that the militants were planning attacks against NATO assets in Germany.

The raids took place in a total of nine provinces across the country, including Istanbul, and the provinces of Van and Erzurum in eastern Turkey.

The Hurriyet daily reported that computers, CDs and documents were seized in the raids.

Al-Qaeda was blamed for bomb attacks in 2003 in Istanbul, in which 57 people died.

Hurriyet reported that the raid in the eastern city of Van recovered an unlicensed weapon, as well as ammunition. The arrested were alleged to have handled logistics in support of al- Qaeda training camps abroad.