Turkey officially requested the Iraqi authorities to hand in two members of Al-Qaeda terrorist organization who were responsible for Istanbul bombings in 2003, Spokesperson of Turkish foreign ministry Namiq Tan said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Tan affirmed that the Iraqi security forces have captured the two members -- Saad Al-Din Aktash and Burhan Kosh.
The Turkish embassy made the demand to the Iraqi foreign ministry, requesting the handover of the members based on a previously-signed security agreement between the two governments, Tan said. He added that Turkey made the demand during meetings last June between the two countries' consulates, and he hoped that the Iraqi government would hand in the suspects as soon as possible. Two suicide attacks targeted the British Consulate and HSBC Bank in the Turkish capital in November 2003 which killed at least 27 people. Another separate attack targeted a Jewish neighborhood several days after Istanbul bombings and killed 25 and wounded 300 others. Al-Qaeda and another unknown extremist group claimed responsibility of the attacks. |