Istanbul bombing suspects charged

Reporters were not allowed into the security court

Nine people in Turkey have been charged in connection with last week's double suicide bombings in Istanbul.

A security court on Tuesday charged them with "belonging to, aiding and abetting an illegal organisation", according to Anatolia news agency.

Three other people detained after last Thursday's attacks were freed after a late-night session of the court.

Groups apparently connected to al-Qaeda say they carried out the bombings, in which at least 28 people died.

This is a war between justice and cruelty, good and bad, and truth and falsehood Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkish Prime Minister

The morning sermon read in Turkish mosques on Tuesday had a strong anti-terrorist message, underlining the Islamic message of love and tolerance and condemning terrorism, whatever its motivation.

The sermon was issued by the state-run Religious Affairs Directorate at the start of the three-day religious holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a televised national address on the eve of the holiday, also urged people to resist terrorism.

"This is a war between justice and cruelty, good and bad, and truth and falsehood," he said.

Part of the British consulate was destroyed in the attack

"It is our right to expect every sensible person to stand by justice, good, and truth in this war."

The suspects who appeared before the court were among 18 people detained after the twin attacks on the British consulate and a branch of the London-based HSBC bank.

Authorities had earlier charged five people with "attempting to overthrow the constitutional structure", for their alleged roles in the twin synagogue bombings in Istanbul five days earlier.

A sixth person was charged with "helping illegal organisations."

The governor of Istanbul said police had gathered "very important clues" on who carried out the bombing outside the British consulate.

Istanbul governor Muammer Guler said police had identified the "culprits" of the attack, but declined to name the suspected bomber.

'Suspect' named

However, a Turkish newspaper said DNA tests had identified the driver of the van, which had been packed with explosives, as a Turkish man named Feridun Ugurlu.

Police, who have accused the media of hampering the investigation by leaking information, have refused to confirm the report.

Feridun Ugurlu had previously been named as an accomplice in the synagogue attacks.

At least 23 people died in those attacks and hundreds were injured.

Turkish officials have said the bombers were Turkish nationals with links to radical Islamic groups.