ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish police on Thursday subdued a man who arrived near Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office carrying a fake bomb. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said the incident was not terrorism-linked and that the man was believed to be suffering from psychological problems.
Police fired two warning shots before overpowering the suspect and arresting him on a street leading to Erdogan’s office, said an aide to the prime minister. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without authorization.
Erdogan was not in his office at the time and no one was injured by the gunfire, the aide said.
The 53-year-old man, identified as Tugrul B., was being questioned and the motive for his action was not immediately known.
Guler said the man made an anonymous call to police tipping them off about plans for a suicide bombing before arriving on the scene five minutes later.
“He had cables around his waist that looked like an explosive device,” Guler told reporters.
“We believe he had psychological problems.”
Private NTV television, quoting unidentified officials, said the man had credit card debts and wanted to draw attention to his plight.
Initial news reports had said police had shot and wounded a suspected suicide bomber.