Turkey sacks top police brass after Ankara attacks

Turkey on Wednesday sacked Ankara's top police chief and two other officials as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan admitted security shortcomings over a double suicide bombing in the capital that killed 97.

 There has been growing anger against Erdogan and the government for alleged security lapses over the worst attack in modern Turkey's history in which two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of peace activists on Saturday.

 Announcing the first dismissals in the wake of the disaster, the interior ministry said Ankara police chief Kadri Kartal as well the head of the city's police intelligence and security departments had been removed from their posts.

 It said they had been sacked on the suggestion of investigators "to allow for a healthy investigation" into the atrocity.

 In his first public remarks on the bombings late Tuesday, Erdogan admitted there were security shortcomings and ordered the State Supervisory Council (DDK), an inspection body attached to the presidency, to undertake a special investigation.

 On Wednesday, Erdogan made his first visit to the site of the bombings outside Ankara's main railway station, laying flowers for the victims alongside visiting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.