Links of Istanbul nightclub attacker established

The gunman who killed 39 people in an attack on an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day is probably Uighur and Turkey has established his possible locations and links, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said in an interview with broadcaster A Haber on Thursday.

Kaynak said he could not rule out the possibility of the attacker fleeing abroad but that operations within Turkey were more likely to achieve a result.

He added the gunman acted alone but may have been helped by others, Reuters reports.