The official, speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said
the cargo included machine guns and pistols. The private Dogan news agency said it included a rocket launch pad and 300 rockets as well as other weapons and ammunition.
The container was discovered when authorities checked the cargo of the train, attacked by separatist Kurdish guerrillas on May 25. The guerrillas had derailed eight cars of the train in a bomb blast near the town of Genc in Bingol province.
Private NTV television said authorities had launched an investigation into the weapons discovery.
On Tuesday evening, Turkish authorities forced a Syrian plane flying from Iran to land in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir and searched it for weapons. No arms were found. Turkish authorities suspect Iran is using Turkey as a transit point to send arms to Lebanon's Hezbollah movement via Syria.
Turkey, the only Muslim member of NATO, borders both Iran and Syria. It has good relations with Israel and its Arab neighbors and has contributed troops to the U.N.-led peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
