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| Turkey investigates al-Qaeda link | Turkey investigates al-Qaeda link |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Police in Istanbul are investigating the possibility that one of the four gunmen involved in an attack on the US consulate had links to al-Qaeda. | Police in Istanbul are investigating the possibility that one of the four gunmen involved in an attack on the US consulate had links to al-Qaeda. |
| Three policemen and three of the attackers were killed during a gun battle in the city on Wednesday. | Three policemen and three of the attackers were killed during a gun battle in the city on Wednesday. |
| A Turkish government official said one of the attackers was known to have travelled to Afghanistan, AP reports. | A Turkish government official said one of the attackers was known to have travelled to Afghanistan, AP reports. |
| Earlier, the funerals of the three policemen killed in the attack took place in Istanbul. | Earlier, the funerals of the three policemen killed in the attack took place in Istanbul. |
| Turkey's interior minister, Besir Atalay, paid his respects to the dead officers, one of whom had only been in the police force for two weeks. | |
| He went on: "Our fight against terror will continue. Those who support and feed terror should know that terror will destroy them." | |
| The motive for the attack is still being investigated, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says, and there has been no official statement on media reports quoting police sources linking the attackers with al-Qaeda. | |
| The relatively amateur nature of the shooting has led some to doubt whether it is the work of al-Qaeda, she adds. | |
| Witnesses | |
| A US state department spokesman said he could not confirm or deny reports of al-Qaeda involvement in Wednesday's attack. | |
| Officials say the use of firearms would be unusual for al-Qaeda | |
| According to witnesses, three men emerged from a car just outside the US consulate building, surprising police officers and opening fire. | |
| Turkish newspaper Milliyet reports that one of the attackers - named as 26-year-old Erkan Kargin - travelled to Afghanistan two years ago where he was trained. | Turkish newspaper Milliyet reports that one of the attackers - named as 26-year-old Erkan Kargin - travelled to Afghanistan two years ago where he was trained. |
| On Wednesday, Turkey's interior minister confirmed that one of those who took part in the attack had previously travelled abroad. | |
| The two other gunmen are named as Bulent Cinar and Raif Topcil. Both are reported as having convictions for minor offences. | The two other gunmen are named as Bulent Cinar and Raif Topcil. Both are reported as having convictions for minor offences. |
| Police were still seeking the fourth gunman, the driver of a vehicle that dropped off the attackers at the consulate. | Police were still seeking the fourth gunman, the driver of a vehicle that dropped off the attackers at the consulate. |
| Armed groups | |
| A police official is quoted as saying that if the al-Qaeda link was proved, it would be the first time that members of the group had used firearms in such an attack. | A police official is quoted as saying that if the al-Qaeda link was proved, it would be the first time that members of the group had used firearms in such an attack. |
| On Wednesday, reports quoted police sources as saying the suspects belonged to a Turkish Sunni Islamic fundamentalist group called the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders Front, thought to have links to al-Qaeda. | On Wednesday, reports quoted police sources as saying the suspects belonged to a Turkish Sunni Islamic fundamentalist group called the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders Front, thought to have links to al-Qaeda. |
| Turkey has seen armed attacks from a variety of groups in recent years. | Turkey has seen armed attacks from a variety of groups in recent years. |
| The most deadly was in November 2003, when 58 people were killed by Islamist militants in suicide bombings outside two synagogues, the British consulate and a British bank in Istanbul. | The most deadly was in November 2003, when 58 people were killed by Islamist militants in suicide bombings outside two synagogues, the British consulate and a British bank in Istanbul. |
| The Kurdish rebels of the PKK have also been blamed for several attacks, including a car bombing that killed six people in the city of Diyarbakir in January. | The Kurdish rebels of the PKK have also been blamed for several attacks, including a car bombing that killed six people in the city of Diyarbakir in January. |