Turkey on alert after frequent bomb scares

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

AFP Photo

Recent bomb scares have put people across Turkey on high alert, as a large number of bomb threats have been faced over less than two weeks in multiple provinces in the country, amid a series of violent acts spiraling across the country. 

A four-story building 400 meters away from a military residence in Istanbul’s Fenerbahçe neighborhood was evacuated on July 28 after a suspected bag was discovered in the gas room of the building. Bomb experts found a firework-launching platform when they arrived at the scene.

In a separate incident in Istanbul, an empty stroller was found near the Istanbul Police Department on July 28. The stroller was found by the Istanbul Tax Office, a public office building located next to the police department in Istanbul’s Fatih district. Bomb experts discovered the stroller did not contain a bomb after they detonated it with a fuse.

Another suspected bag was found by the governor’s office building in the southeastern province of Şırnak at around 1:00 p.m. on July 28. The bag was also determined to be empty after bomb experts detonated it with a fuse. 

In a separate incident in the Black Sea province of Samsun, a plastic bag and a cardboard box were found hidden in greenery in Samsun’s İlkadım district on July 28. The plastic bag and the cardboard box were determined to be full of cloth and newspapers after bomb experts detonated them with a fuse.