Turkish police arrest man with fake bomb outside prime minister's office

Turkish police fired in the air and detained a man who tried to breach a security cordon near Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's offices on Thursday, an official in the premier's office said.

Police were investigating whether the man was carrying explosives after he refused to show his identity card at a checkpoint in the street outside the building, the official said.

The 53-year-old man, identified as Tugrul B., was carrying a device made to look like a bomb, the official said. The suspect was being questioned and the motive for his action was not immediately known.

Erdogan was not at his office at the time of the incident.

There were conflicting reports on Thursday's incident with the Anadolu Agency saying initially that police had shot and wounded the suspect and later reporting that police had subdued the man before he was able to detonate a bomb he was carrying on him. The prime ministry official denied the suspect had been shot.

Television footage showed police sealing off the streets in the area.

Private NTV television, quoting unidentified officials, said the man had credit card debts and wanted to draw attention to his plight.

Wire services