Dear Readers,

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Bomb blasts that killed 17 people and injured 150 others in a crowded neighborhood square appeared to be linked to a Kurdish rebel group, Istanbul's govGüngören, Turkey, killedernor said Monday, though the rebels immediately denied involvement.

The suburb, Güngören, Turkey, lies about 10 km (6 miles) from where I was staying until the middle of last week. Before you blame the Kurds, hold off judgement until more facts are in. The Turkish Government, like some well-known others, will blame the terrorists first and then wait to see if they have to retract the accusation.

My Turkish friends say it could have been a particularly stupid "prank" pulled by teenagers, so please don't jump to conclusions just yet.

As much as I would like to claim that I was in danger, I am actually about twelve hours south of the city in a somewhat remote coastal town called Datca.

The other millionaires in our village do not seem very concerned about a small bomb hundreds of kilometers away, so I am taking my cue from them.

I will tell you more about my harrowing experience after several of us get out of the Jacuzzi.

Stay tuned,

Ken