Turkish president vows continued fight against terrorism

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday denounced the latest bombing attack in Istanbul, vowing continued battle against terrorism.

"This terror attack is against humanity, there is no way to forgive these attacks," the president said after visiting some of the wounded in hospital, adding that "we will continue our struggle against terrorism tirelessly until the end."

Seven police officers and four civilians were killed and 36 others injured in the morning rush hour, when a parked car exploded as a riot police shuttle bus passed by in the neighborhood of Vezneciler in Istanbul's Fatih district.

Three of the wounded are "in critical condition," Governor Vasip Sahin said.

Erdogan said two people were undergoing surgery in the hospital where he visited.

The deadly attack came one day after Turkey entered the holy month of Ramadan, a time when Muslims in the country practice fasting.

"Terror can happen anytime anywhere, we should be prepared," Erdogan said, pledging all the precautions to "minimize" the threat of terrorism.

Press reports said the buildings of several universities, the Istanbul municipality headquarters and Ottoman-era mosques were damaged in the explosion, while the final exams in Istanbul University were postponed.

Police have boosted the security measures across the city and were conducting searches at the metro stations, the reports said.

The security situation in Turkey has deteriorated in recent months, with Istanbul, the national capital of Ankara and other cities having been hit by a number of bombing attacks.

In Istanbul, two suicide bombing attacks killed 12 Germans and four foreigners respectively in January and March. Endit