Thai police claim Bangkok bombing suspect fled to Turkey
Thai police say a key suspect in the Aug. 17 bombing at a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people has fled to Turkey.Police had previously said the man, carrying a Chinese passport in the name Abudureheman Abudusataer, may have directed the bombing of the Erawan Shrine. They had discovered that he left Thailand on Aug. 16 for Bangladesh, and speculated that he might have gone to China.However, national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said Monday that information gathered by Thai police and Bangladeshi officials showed that the man departed Bangladesh on Aug. 30 and traveled to Istanbul in Turkey as his final destination, via Delhi and Abu Dhabi.The Turkish Embassy in Thailand has previously questioned the reports claiming that its nationals were involved in the Aug. 17 bombing of a Bangkok landmark that killed 20 people.A statement posted in early September on the embassy's website says it has not received any official notification from Thai authorities concerning arrest warrants issued for at least three persons believed to Turkish nationals. It also quotes a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman noting that the embassy has stated that a suspect arrested with a fake Turkish passport is not Turkish.On August 17, a bomb blast rocked the Erawan Shrine in the Thai capital and killed 20 people and injured many others.The Turkish connection has boosted a theory the suspects may be part of a group seeking to avenge Thailand's forced repatriation of ethnic Uighurs to China in July. Uighurs are related to Turks, and Turkey is home to a large Uighur community.
Last Update: September 14, 2015 14:53