ANKARA, Turkey — Small bombs exploded in front of four Turkish branches of a London-based bank ahead of Monday's visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. No one was injured.

Blair, a supporter of Turkey's bid to join the European Union, arrived Monday for meetings with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks on the EU, Cyprus, Iraq and the Middle East.

Two bombs went off in front of two HSBC branches in Istanbul, shattering the bank's windows. A third bomb went off underneath a parked car of an HSBC bank employee in Ankara, damaging the car and the bank slightly. A fourth blast shattered windows of another HSBC branch in the capital.

Nobody claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Suspected al-Qaida bombers blew up trucks packed with explosives at the British consulate and the main headquarters of HSBC in Istanbul in November, killing 27 people. The truck bombings had coincided with President Bush's state visit to Britain.

The British consul-general was among those killed in the suicide bombings, which were the worst terrorist attacks in this Muslim nation's history. They came five days after suspected al-Qaida militants blew up two Istanbul synagogues in similar fashion, killing 23 people.

Turkey, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, is hoping to begin EU membership talks at the end of the year. Turkish membership would extend the bloc's borders to Syria and Iraq.

Britain is a leading advocate of Turkish membership, arguing that the nation can help bridge differences between Europe and the Muslim world and aid in the fight against terrorism.

"My strong belief is that Turkey's membership would be good for all of us," Blair told the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet in an interview published Monday. "I wish a positive decision for Turkey in December with my whole heart."

Turkey has carried out sweeping reforms in the last two years to meet EU requirements, including abolishing the death penalty and granting greater cultural rights to long-oppressed Kurds.

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Britain believes the reform process is not yet complete, but thinks Ankara's progress should be rewarded by launching membership talks. EU leaders are scheduled to decide in December whether to do that.

"A secular and stable Turkey anchored at the West, would show that Islam, democracy and economic success could coexist," Blair told Hurriyet.

Turkey borders Iraq and is viewed by Britain as a strategic power in the region. Blair will urge Turkey to foster a constructive relationship with the new Iraqi government, commercially and politically, a British government source said.

A NATO summit is to be held in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, next month.

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