Turkey: We will not bow to terror
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An HSBC building was badly damaged in one of the blasts.
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Istanbul resident Chris Kintrinos describes the chaos after explosions hit the Turkish city.
British Foreign Minister Jack Straw calls bombings "terrorist attacks," saying they had all the hallmarks of al Qaeda
CNN terrorism analyst M.J. Gohel says the bombings in Istanbul are a wake-up call to Islamic nations
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ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Turkey's government has declared it will not bow to terrorism following Thursday's series of deadly explosions in Istanbul.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was quoted on Reuters after a series of explosions hit Turkey's largest city and commercial capital, one of them targeting the British consulate.
Speaking in Stockholm, Sweden, Gul said his country is facing "organized terrorist attacks," adding: "Unfortunately again we lost many innocent people but we will continue to fight against terrorism. This time it was British interests, last week it was two synagogues."
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said he believed Thursday's blasts were linked to the synagogue bombings that killed 25 people, including the two bombers.
Talking to reporters he said: "These are similar to the incidents that occurred last Saturday. We are considering all the options."
He added: "These attacks are against the stability of Turkey."
Justice Minister Jemil Cicek condemned the attacks and appealed for calm, saying: "In our struggle against terrorism, Turkey must make new efforts."
In London, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the attacks were an "appalling act of terrorism" which bore "all the hallmarks" of al Qaeda.
He said three or four British employees from the consulate in Istanbul had not reported to a roll call following the explosions.
