A Turkish businessman living in Newport was terrified that his elderly father had been killed in yesterday's terrorist bombings in Turkey.

Cemil Yildiztekin's 78-year-old father, Muharem Yildiztekin, went to the British Consulate just minutes before a huge bomb wrecked the building.

Mr Yildiztekin senior was visiting the consul to get a visa so he could move to Wales and live with his son in Newport.

Mr Yildiztekin junior, 44, who owns Tri-City catering equipment on Corporation Road, said: "I saw the reports of the bombs on the news and I panicked. My father was at the consul because he was due to fly here this week. I was so shocked and upset. I thought he must be dead.

"I tried to call him or my brother, but the phones were down and I couldn't get through. It was terrible."

After an anxious two-hour wait he eventually contacted his brother in Istanbul, who said that their father had escaped uninjured.

Mr Yildiztekin said: "He left the consul a couple of minutes before the chaos. I was so relieved. Another two minutes and he could have been dead.

"I haven't seen him for four years. He was coming to stay with me in Newport for Christmas, maybe longer. I don't know if I can even see him now, or whether he will be able to fly over."

At least 27 people have been reported killed and over 400 injured in the two bomb attacks on the British Consulate and the HSBC bank headquarters in Istanbul. Rescue workers today feared the death toll would rise.

Britain's top diplomat in the city, Consul-General Roger Short, was among at least 14 people killed in the attack on the consulate.

Last night, a visibly shaken Foreign Secretary Jack Straw visited the scene. Today, local news sources were saying that seven men were being questioned in connection with the attacks on the consulate and HSBC bank.

Cemil Yildiztekin, who has lived in Newport for a year, said he and many other Turks living in South Wales were shocked and outraged by yesterday's attacks.

"Too many people have died because of these terrorists," he said.

"Everybody is very angry and in a panic. These terrorists are targeting Turkey because they think we are friendly with the UK and USA over the Iraq war.

"If there was no war in Iraq, then this would never have happened. We are worried because it could be Turkey today, UK tomorrow."

* MEMBERS of Newport's large Turkish community spent most of yesterday watching events unfold on television, desperate for news of friends and loved ones in Turkey.

At the Turkish community centre on Corporation Road, Turks meet up to eat, drink and socialise. Emrah Polat, aged 18, said: "Today has been very quiet. Usually people play pool and enjoy themselves, but today everybody just wants to watch the news. We've all got family in Turkey, so we are all worried about them."

Although there is not much support for George Bush, Tony Blair or the war in Iraq, neither is there any support for the terrorists.

Mr Polat said: "We are all Moslem, but these terrorists are not Moslems.

"They do not care who they kill. The do not care about race or language or colour. Turks are moderate Moslems, but these people are extremists. We need to stop terrorism."