Bomb in Turkish newspaper’s courtyard defused in Istanbul

Turkish police defused a time bomb at a daily Turkish newspaper’s courtyard in Istanbul on Friday, security officials told the state-run Anadolu news agency.

The bomb, which was wrapped in a banner with the initials of an illegal left-wing organisation - Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLK-P) - according to Anadolu, was found at the newspaper's offices around 8am GMT in Istanbul’s industrial Ikitelli district.

Security guards noticed the bomb and notified the police. Later, a bomb disposal squad defused the explosives device. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

According to local media, the same group allegedly claimed responsibility for a gun attack targeting a police station in Istanbul’s Sultangazi neighbourhood on Tuesday.

After the bomb's discovery, the newspaper issued a written statement, saying that the threats would not stop it from disclosing what it labelled as "tricks" being played over Turkey.

"We would like to remind once again that efforts of terrorist groups who want to silence Star Media with a bomb are futile," the statement said.

The statement also criticised the Dogan Media Group which runs, among other outlets, Hurriyet Daily News and CNN Turk.

Star Media also took aim at the pro-“parallel state” media - referring to the so-called group linked to exiled cleric and government opponent Fethullah Gulen- and pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) Leader Selahattin Demirtas, whom it accused of targeting the newspaper.

"Neither bomb nor open or hidden threats will hinder us from making stories about the tricks played over the country," it added.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan condemned the attack on his official Twitter account.

"I condemn the attack against Star Media Group. Those who treat the terrorist group as a flower child and encourage them with their statements are also responsible for the attack," Akdogan tweeted.