A homemade bomb left on a bicycle exploded at a market in the Aegean port city of Izmir on Saturday, injuring 15 people, the governor said. The blast occurred one day before hundreds of thousands of secular Turks were expected to march in the city against the government's attempts to raise the profile of Islam in the country. Governor Cahit Kirac appealed for calm. Izmir's mayor, Aziz Kocaoglu, said he did not think there was any connection between the attack and the planned demonstration. The blast occurred at a market in the Bornova district of Izmir in the morning as vendors were setting up their stalls. One of the injured had a serious wound in the ankle, authorities said. The blast shattered the windows of several houses and car windshields. Police were searching for a suspect who allegedly left the bicycle at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing a blue nylon bag on the bicycle, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.
