Turks charge man with synagogue bombing

Turkish authorities have charged a man they say played a central role in the bombing of an Istanbul synagogue earlier this month…

Turkish authorities have charged a man they say played a central role in the bombing of an Istanbul synagogue earlier this month.

The attack was one of four suicide bombings which killed 61 people in the Turkish capital and injured hundreds more.

The unidentified man, who police said gave the order to carry out the attack on the Beth Israel synagogue, was detained on November 25th as he tried to enter Iran from Turkey, though his arrest was only announced by police on yesterday.

He was charged late last night with seeking to overthrow Turkey's constitutional order by force, an offence equivalent to treason and carrying a life sentence.

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Turkey has charged more than 20 people in connection with the simultaneous attacks on two Istanbul synagogues on November 15th and similar twin attacks on British-based bank HSBC's Istanbul offices and the British consulate five days later.

Groups linked with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network have claimed responsibility for the truck bombings, which prompted US President George W Bush to say Turkey now finds itself on the frontline of the "war on terrorism".