The police applied the same measures in Parliament on Tuesday that were taken when US President Barack Obama visited Turkey last year, officials said. The main service entry was closed to access from the early hours of the morning. Police set up barricades at all entrance and exit points in Parliament to prevent a possible attack. Groups visiting from outside the city were not allowed in for fear that they might cause security problems.
Officials said an anonymous tip the police received on Monday was the reason for Tuesday’s tight security. Sources said security measures around Parliament were heightened chiefly because the anonymous information came a week after police received another tip-off that said, “A government official will be assassinated within the next two weeks,” according to the Vatan daily. That information was sent by a person using the alias “Mehmet Ali,” the same person who tipped the police off about a truck transporting weapons from Muğla to Ankara on March 10. The vehicle was stopped by police. Military officials reported that they were aware of the transfer of military equipment. According to the officials, renting a vehicle for these types of military equipment transfers is routine and less risky. The military also stated that 12 trucks carrying military equipment entered Ankara that day.
