Arrest after gun, grenade attack on Erdogan's office

Police chief Selami Altinok said the attack on Thursday was carried out by a man, suspected of belonging to a terrorist organization, who had been taken into custody.

Officers said they had subdued the man and destroyed two grenades that had failed to go off outside the Dolmbahce Palace in Istanbul, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has his presidential office.

"Two hand grenades that he hurled against the police on duty did not explode. He was quickly overpowered," Altinok told reporters at the scene. He ruled out that the attack was aimed at Erdogan himself, although there was no immediate word on the man's motives.

Police said the assailant, aged about 30, was known to have links with "terrorist organizations." The man was said to have been brandishing an "very old" automatic rifle as well as a pistol, with which he opened fire.

"The individual's identity and affiliation is obvious to us… He has spent time in prison," said Altinok.

Erdogan served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014 and was elected president in August, despite a corruption scandal having engulfed his Islamic-rooted party months earlier. His opponents accuse him of imposing authoritarian rule on Turkey.

A variety of groups have targeted security forces in Turkey, including Kurdish insurgents, nationalists, Islamists and left wing groups.

Police did not say if Erdogan was present at the office in the annex of the palace, which was the residence of the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

rc/tj (dpa, Reuters)