Istanbul bomber registered in Turkey but not on wanted list
A suicide bomber who killed himself and 10 German tourists in Istanbul's historic heart had registered with Turkish immigration authorities but was not on any list of known militant suspects, Turkey's interior minister said on Wednesday.
The bomber, who authorities say is an Islamic State member recently arrived from Syria, blew himself up on Tuesday in Sultanahmet square near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, major tourist sites in one of the world's most visited cities.
"Your assessment that his fingerprints were taken and there is a record of him is correct.
But he was not on the wanted individuals list.
And neither is he on the target individuals list sent to us by other countries," Interior Minister Efkan Ala told a joint news conference with his German counterpart Thomas de Maiziere.
The bomber, who authorities say is an Islamic State member recently arrived from Syria, blew himself up on Tuesday in Sultanahmet square near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, major tourist sites in one of the world's most visited cities.
"Your assessment that his fingerprints were taken and there is a record of him is correct.
But he was not on the wanted individuals list.
And neither is he on the target individuals list sent to us by other countries," Interior Minister Efkan Ala told a joint news conference with his German counterpart Thomas de Maiziere.