Turkey airport hit by fire

One of Turkey's most important and largest airports has been struck by fire, causing chaos to flights into and out of the country.

Istanbul's Ataturk International airport has been severely damaged by the blaze, which took hold in the building's cargo area.

Officials state that the fire is now under control and there was no damage caused to the main passenger terminal and the airport was not evacuated.

Flights have returned to normal now that the fire has been brought under control, which was achieved using water released from fire planes overhead.

Although it is not yet known what caused the fire, officials have played down rumours that it was a terrorist attack, suggesting it could have been caused by a short circuit.

However, a Kurdish separatist group has claimed it caused the fire in protest of Turkish "massacres" against the Kurds.

That claim has not been verified and there has been no confirmation from the Turkish authorities as to whether that statement is genuine.