Turkey probes possible Iran link in bombing near Syrian border

PKK was initially fingered for Monday’s attack, which killed nine in the city of Gaziantep

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey says it is investigating whether another country, possibly Iran, was involved in an explosion that killed nine people near the border with Syria.

Turkey has blamed a Kurdish rebel group, the PKK, for the attack Monday in the city of Gaziantep, but some officials allege there are links between the militants and Syrian intelligence.

Turkey supports the Syrian opposition in its war with forces loyal to President Bashar Assad, and relations between Ankara and Damascus have sharply deteriorated since the conflict began in March 2011.

In an interview Wednesday night with CNN-Turk television, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said the investigation was not limited to possible Syrian involvement.

He left open the possibility that Iran, an ally of Assad, might also be a culprit.