Turkish police nab man with fake bomb outside PM’s office

Turkish police on Thursday subdued a man who arrived near Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office in the capital Ankara carrying a fake bomb, an official said.

Police fired two warning shots before overpowering the suspect and arresting him, said an aide to the prime minister. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without authorization.

Erdogan was not in his office at the time and no one was injured by the gunfire, the aide 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.

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

Initial news reports had said police had shot and wounded a man suspected of being a suicide bomber.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.