September 11, 2007 MEMRI
A citizen’s report to security authorities of a suspicious Mercedes Vito van parked in a multi-story car parking in the heart of the capital helped foil a mega terror attack in Turkey, on the anniversary of 9/11.
The car park, that is located in a busy district near school grounds, hospitals and many businesses was isolated, and all surrounding buildings were evacuated before the 700 lb. explosive was destroyed by security forces that employed every precaution.
The first evaluation by bomb experts was that this was a “mini atomic bomb”, of the same kind used in 2003 bombings of two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British Bank in Istanbul by Islamist Turks affiliated with Al Qaeda, that had killed over 60 people.
There is a massive search going on in Ankara to hunt down the three suspects that were recorded by the parking cameras as they were leaving the vehicle.
It is reported that authorities had been receiving warnings for a major terror attack in Turkey. High ranking military officials had in their recent speeches also warned about the possibility for such attacks in major Turkish cities.
