Scares in Turkey and Germany Add to 9/11 Jitters

An unexploded car bomb has been found in Turkey and threats have made against a US air base in Germany as jittery security forces fear terrorist action timed to coincide with the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

A large amount of explosives was found in a minibus, which had a fake license plate, in a multi-story car park in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

Homes were evacuated during an operation by bomb disposal experts. Police cordoned off the area and were also jamming mobile telephone signals to block possible remote controlled attempts to trigger the bomb, CNN-Turk television reported.

The governor of Ankara, Kemal Onal, said police had increased security measures in case of an anniversary attack.

"A possible disaster has been prevented," Mr Onal told reporters at the site. "There is nothing to worry about now."

Suicide bombers linked to al-Qaida attacked Istanbul in 2003 with truck bombs that killed 58 people in explosions at two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British bank.

In February, seven people were sentenced to life in prison for the bombings.

In Germany, police have stepped up security measures at the Spangdahlem air base in response to a telephone threat last night.

A male caller - speaking German, possibly with a Russian or Turkish accent - threatened to attack the base with at least four accomplices, and the word "bombs" was mentioned, according to a police statement.

The US military immediately informed German police, who took "immediate measures to protect the air base," the statement said.

Police spokesman Reinhard Rothgerber said: "The protection of this facility, which is at a high level anyway, was intensified further."

He said police were trying to track down the anonymous caller.

The alert follows the arrest of three men last week on suspicion of planning massive bomb attacks against US bases in Germany.