Police apprehend suspected suicide bomber at the Ankara Prime Ministry

Police shot warning fire to render a suspected suicide bomber ineffective at the entrance to the Prime Ministry building in Ankara on Thursday. The individual, allegedly a 52-year-old man by the name of Tuğrul B., was wearing what appeared to be a belt of explosives. Police shot the suspect near the entrance of the Prime Ministry building on Vekaleter Street in the capital at 12:20 on Thursday. The assailant, who wanted to enter the Prime Ministry, appeared to be attempting to trigger an electronic device strapped to his body when police shot two warning rounds into the air. The assailant also told police that he was carrying a bomb mechanism. The suspect was detained by security forces and initially taken to the hospital. He has now been transferred to the Çankaya Police Department for questioning. A high number of police have been called out to the site, while the street has been shut off to traffic.

Interior Minister Muammer Güler commented on the information obtained regarding the assailant by stating, "The suspect tipped off police himself. This is an individual with psychological issues." Güler also noted that the device did not contain explosives and was just an accessory made to look like a bomb.