Turkish officials say a remote controlled bomb exploded near the offices of the country's ruling party in Istanbul Thursday, injuring at least 16 people, mostly police officers.

Police chief said explosives mounted on a stationary motorcycle were detonated when a bus carrying 21 police officers drove by early Thursday.

State-run television showed pictures of ambulances and fire engines rushing to the scene, close to the offices of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ((AK) Justice and Development Party.

The explosion damaged the police bus and some nearby vehicles.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. However the government faces harsh criticism from several groups, including Kurdish rebels, leftists and Islamist militants.