Seven jailed for Turkey bombings

A Turkish court sentenced seven people, including a Syrian al Qaeda militant, to life in prison, yesterday for suicide bomb attacks on Jewish and British targets in Istanbul that killed more than 60 people in 2003.

Syrian Louai al Sakka was jailed for masterminding and securing finance for the truck bombings of two synagogues, the British consulate and an HSBC bank branch in November 2003 - the deadliest peacetime bombings in Turkey.

Harun Ilhan, who admitted to plotting the bombings and being a member of al Qaeda, was also sentenced to life in prison. Five more people received life sentences while dozens of others received lighter sentences.

A Turkish cell in the al Qaeda network claimed responsibility for the attacks, which wounded more than 600. "We are close to victory. The time for jihad (holy war) has come, but don't worry about me. I will get out, then I will once again join your jihad," Sakka said in court before the verdict.

A total of 74 people, nearly all Turks, were on trial for the bombings. Nine appeared in court yesterday. Security was tight around the courthouse, with sharp-shooters on roof-tops and armoured personnel carriers stationed outside.

Security sources say Sakka, a bomb-making expert and alleged associate of former al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was the top figure in Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in Turkey. He was accused of giving the militants more than $150,000 to carry out the attacks in Istanbul.