Turkish Police Detain 15 Qaida Suspects

Police have detained 15 people suspected of having ties to the al-Qaida extremist network in central Turkey, Anatolia news agency reported on Tuesday.

The suspects were arrested in simultaneous raids at several addresses in central Anatolian province of Konya, Anatolia said.

Turkish security forces have regularly targeted suspected al-Qaida supporters since twin suicide bombings hit Istanbul five days apart in November 2003.

A Turkish cell of al-Qaida was held responsible for the attacks, in which explosive-laden trucks first targeted two synagogues, and then the British consulate and a British bank, killing a total of 63 people, including the British consul.

Seven men were jailed for life in 2007 over the bombings, among them a Syrian national who masterminded and financed the attacks.