Bomb explodes near Istanbul fairground; one killed

A bomb placed in a trash can exploded near a fairground in Istanbul on Friday, killing one person and injuring 12 others, Istanbul's governor said.

The bomb was placed in a trash can at a bus stop outside the Tatilya fairground, in Beylikduzu, a suburb on the European side of the city, Gov. Muammer Guler said.

A 36-year-old man died in hospital from his injuries, Istanbul's Ozel Avcilar Hospital said.

An investigation was under way, but police suspect that autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels, who have carried out similar attacks in the city, may have been behind the bombing, a police official said. He was speaking on condition of anonymity because of rules that rarely allow civil servants to speak to journalists.

Guler said police believed the bomb was made of remote-controlled plastic explosives, favored by the rebels.

Militant leftist and Islamic groups are also active in the city, AP reported. V.A.