Washington, Dec 06: The US state department has alerted Americans to a possible terrorist threat in Turkey, a NATO ally that is assisting the United States in the event of war with Iraq. The department said it had received unconfirmed and fragmentary information that suggested unknown terrorists might be planning to conduct a terrorist incident in southeast Turkey.
A largely secular Muslim nation, Turkey has a new government that is trying to distance itself from the Islamic roots of the Just Ice and Development Party, which swept elections last month.
Turkey is seeking membership in the European Union, which would draw it closer to the West.
The likely target, the department said, would be official US government facilities or personnel.
In a statement, it warned US citizens to be particularly cautious if they travelled in or out of the Gaziantep Airport, which is being used while the airport at Adana is under repair.
The Turkish government has taken "prudent measures" to deal with the possible threat, the department said.
The statement referred to Turkey as a country that fully cooperates with the United States in the war on terrorism.
Bureau Report