Turkish officials find explosive on officer’s car ahead of Erdogan rally

A small explosive device was reportedly attached to a car belonging to a police officer who was supposed to secure a rally attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday.

The bomb was affixed to the undercarriage of the officer’s private car and found before he left for the rally, Turkey’s state-run TRT Haber news outlet said.

The explosive was found on the officer’s vehicle in the province of Mardin, around 125 miles from the rally in the city of Siirt, the report said.

The officer had been assigned to the rally and was a member of the riot police.

A bomb disposal team removed the device without causing any injuries, the report said.

Security officials are investigating the incident.

Turkey has been battling the Kurdish PKK group in the area for decades.