Western intelligence services may have kidnapped a former Iranian deputy defence minister who went missing in Turkey, Iran's police chief was quoted as saying yesterday.

Ali Reza Asgari was on a personal trip and vanished after arriving in Turkey from Damascus, Iranian police chief Ismail Ahmadi-Moghaddam was quoted as saying by the Iranian ILNA news agency.

"It is possible that former Deputy Defence Minister Asgari was kidnapped by Western intelligence services because of his Defence Ministry background," Ahmadi-Moghaddam said.

"He went missing after three days stay in Turkey. Police inquiries show he has not left Turkey," he said, adding there was no indication Asgari had died or had been hospitalized.

Turkish media reports said Asgari, 63, a retired general in the elite Revolutionary Guards, went missing after checking into an Istanbul hotel on February 7.

Turkish newspaper Milliyet, citing unnamed officials, said Turkish intelligence and police had found Asgari opposed the Iranian government and had information on its nuclear plans.

The West says Iran's nuclear program is a covert attempt to make atomic bombs, a charge which Teheran denies.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry official, who declined to be named, said it was following the case at the request of Iran but did not consider it unusual.

"He is an ordinary Iranian missing person for us," the official said. "After they (the Interior Ministry) will come up with a solution we will pass the results to the Iranians through the same diplomatic procedures."

Turkish daily Hurriyet said last month two foreigners had gone to the reception of an Istanbul hotel on February 6 to make a room reservation for Asgari for three nights. They paid in cash. Asgari checked into the hotel on February 7 and later disappeared.

The Turkish Interior Ministry said yesterday it was investigating the matter, but would not confirm or deny that Asgari had disappeared or been kidnapped.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry had asked the Interior Ministry to investigate following a report from the Iranian Embassy in Ankara.

In Israel, security officials said the country's embassies and consulates had been alerted to possible attacks or kidnappings following media speculation that Israel was behind the Iranian general's disappearance.

The Shin Bet, Israel's security service, would not confirm that embassy security had been ratcheted up.

Source: China Daily/agencies