Istanbul bombings: three more charged

A Turkish court has charged three more alleged accomplices in the Istanbul suicide bombings with membership of an illegal organisation and aiding an illegal organisation.

The charges, which are related to the bombings of the British Consulate and a British bank, are punishable by up to five years in prison and follow the recent arrests of 15 other people.

A prosecutor has also petitioned the state security court, which handles terrorism cases, to order the arrest of another suspect, but that request was denied, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Private CNN-Turk and NTV television channels said that two of the new suspects are women.

Four suicide bombings killed a total of 57 people in attacks on two synagogues on November 15 and simultaneous bombings of the British Consulate and the HSBC bank five days later.

Besides the three latest people to be charged, 15 other suspected accomplices have already been charged in connection with the bombings, accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order or helping illegal organisations.

No trial date has been set.

Earlier, police questioned 18 Turkish suspects, including four women.

"There are new detentions and they will continue," Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said.

Police also raided several houses and offices believed to be used by Islamic militants and confiscated material used to make bombs, the daily Vatan newspaper reported. Police declined to confirm the report. It was not clear when the raids took place.

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