Funerals were held for the three police officers shot dead outside the consulate [AFP]

The arrests on Thursday came as the funerals were held for the three police officers killed in the seven-minute gunfight at a police post outside the consulate. 

Atalay said that Wednesday's shooting, in which three of the attackers were killed, was apparently a "suicide mission".

"Taking into account the footage from security cameras and other aspects of the incident, it largely appears to have been an act of suicide," he said.

Three of the suspects were detained up in Istanbul, while the fourth was brought another city. All were Turksih national, Atalay said..

Police have been looking for the driver of the car in which the three attackers drove to the consulate building. It is unknown whether he was among the four detained.

Al-Qaeda blamed

The US ambassador to Turkey has called the attack an obvious act of terrorism, while CNN Turk televsion on Wednesday quoted police sources as saying al-Qaeda was behind the attack.

The interior minister said investigators were trying to establish whether the assailants belonged to any outlawed group, denying reports that one of them had spent time at the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Radikal newspaper said Erkan Kargin, one of the attackers killed in the shootout, crossed into Iran in September 2006 and returned to Turkey eight months later. Iran does not require visas for Turkish citizens and fighters reportedly travel to Afghanistan through Iran.

NTV television reported that Kargin is thought to have undergone military training in Afghanistan.

Investigation

The US said it was unable to confirm or deny reports of al-Qaeda involvement.

Sean McCormack, a state department spokesman, said: "I can't say either way. I can't refute them. I can't support them at this point. In terms of our view, it's too early to tell in the investigation."

He said Washington was working closely with the Turkish government "to
determine who is responsible for it and, of course, as best we can, hold to account anybody who was involved" in its planning and execution.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

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