Iran president faced 'threat'

2008-08-16 17:23

Ankara - Police had intelligence of a "threat" to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad during his visit to Turkey this week, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Saturday.

Asked about heavy security for Ahmadinejad's visit to Istanbul on Thursday and Friday, Gul said the measure were prompted by intelligence of a threat to the visiting leader which he did not specify.

"I was also upset" about traffic jams in the Turkish metropolis resulting from the heightened security, said Gul in televised remarks from the central city of Nevsehir.

"But the Istanbul police told me they had intelligence of a threat that they could not ignore and therefore they had to take those measures."

Police banned traffic on roads that Ahmadinejad used during his visit, leaving many local residents and tourists stranded, and causing some travellers to miss their flights.

Ahmadinejad apologised for the trouble his visit caused, but noted that security arrangements were decided by Turkish authorities who "might have been irked by the activities of terrorist Zionists".

- AFP