Turkish prime minister's Reyhanlı visit rescheduled to May 25

ISTANBUL

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan walks prior a joint press meeting with EU President Herman van Rompuy in Ankara May 23. Erdoğan is set to visit bomb-damaged Reyhanlı on May 25, AKP's Speaker announced via Twitter. AA photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to the bomb-hit town of Reyhanlı was rescheduled to May 25 instead of May 30 as had been announced earlier, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Hüseyin Çelik said via Twitter. "Our prime minister's visit has been brought forward to Saturday," Çelik wrote.

Tensions are still palpable in the town where 51 people were killed and more than a hundred injured in a twin bomb attack on May 11. Turkish President Abdullah Gül visited the town less than a week after the bombings on May 16, while Erdoğan had revealed his intention to appear himself after his four-day U.S. trip.

Çelik had said earlier that Erdoğan intended to make a condolence visit to the families of the victims and inspect the site of the car bomb explosions.

Eighteen people have been detained in the Reyhanlı investigation so far, among which 12 were arrested, while six were released pending trial. Turkish officials have said that the prime suspects were closely linked with Syrian intelligence agency al-Mukhabarat.