ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkey's deputy prime minister (Veysi Kaynak) says authorities are close to catching the gunman who killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub.

He told A Haber news channel in an interview today that "the circle is closing in" on the gunman who vanished after the attack.

The deputy premier says authorities believe he is still inside Turkey, although they have not completely ruled out the possibility that he may have escaped.

He says the man is believed to be from China's Muslim Uighur (WEE'-gur) minority.