Strong winds disrupt air, road traffic in Turkey

ISTANBUL, April 18 (Reuters) - Strong winds forced authorities to temporarily close bridges across the Bosphorus strait dividing the European and Asian sides of Istanbul on Wednesday, and Turkish Airlines suspended dozens of international and domestic flights.

Traffic across the two Istanbul bridges was staggered in order to reduce risks of an accident, while high winds blowing through western and central Turkey caused havoc on the roads in other cities.

The winds kicked up a dust storm in the capital Ankara, while a motorcyclist was reported killed in the Aegean province of Denizli.

Istanbul's fire department was flooded with calls from residents alarmed as high winds tore the roofs off buildings. Television images showed a collapsed unfinished building at a construction site in the city.

Turkey's flagship carrier Turkish Airlines also cancelled 43 domestic and international flights scheduled for Thursday due to the weather conditions. (Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)