Turkish embassy skeptical Bangkok bomb suspects are Turks

A Thai policeman patrols with a bomb sniffing dog in Bangkok, Thailand. Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. Three days after the attack at a revered shrine in central Bangkok killed 20 people, authorities appeared to have few solid leads into the perpetrators of the deadliest attack in Thailand’s recent history. Police said they suspect the plot involved at least 10 people but described that figure as theoretical. AP

BANGKOK — The Turkish Embassy in Thailand is casting doubt on reports that its nationals were involved in the Aug. 17 bombing of a Bangkok landmark that killed 20 people.

A statement posted Thursday on the embassy’s website says it has not received any official notification from Thai authorities concerning arrest warrants issued for at least three persons believed to Turkish nationals. It also quotes a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman noting that the embassy has stated that a suspect arrested with a fake Turkish passport is not Turkish.

The Turkish connection has boosted a theory the suspects may be part of a group seeking to avenge Thailand’s forced repatriation of ethnic Uighurs to China in July. Uighurs (pronounced WEE-gurs) are related to Turks, and Turkey is home to a large Uighur community.