Turkish authorities said they detained a man in Istanbul last week on suspicion of plotting to kill visiting U.S. President Barack Obama.
A Turkish official said Tuesday the man was deemed mentally disturbed and released shortly after he was taken into custody. The arrest occurred Friday, two days before Mr. Obama even arrived in Turkey.
U.S. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said Mr. Obama was never in any immediate danger. He added that the president's security team is following up with Turkish authorities about the case, as is standard practice.
The White House does not comment about threats or the president's security.
A Saudi newspaper, al-Watan, has reported details that have not been confirmed by officials. It said a man of Syrian origin confessed to plotting to stab Mr. Obama. The newspaper said the man was carrying an Al-Jazeera identity card.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
