Turkey boosts security measures

More than 30 have been charged in connection with last month's attacks

Turkish police have stepped up security over the holiday season but say there is no evidence that fresh suicide bombings are being planned.

Turkish media quoted Istanbul police chief Celalettin Cerrah as saying that precautions were being taken in the run-up to the new year.

However, he said there was no indication of any specific threat.

Last month, attacks on two synagogues, a bank and the British consulate in Istanbul killed 62 people.

Unconfirmed

Mr Cerrah was speaking after the Milliyet newspaper published details of a memo, sent by police to a number of private companies, which warned of possible attacks on US or Israeli targets.

The memo quoted intelligence sources as saying that several members of a militant group planning a major new attack in Turkey had entered the country from Syria, according to the AFP news agency.

The city's popular Akmerkez shopping mall was specifically mentioned as a possible target, police added.

However, the Istanbul police chief said the security services were not expecting an attack.

He told Milliyet that the memo contained unconfirmed intelligence and that two officers who were responsible for releasing it had been sacked.