ANKARA, Sept 13 (AFP) - 13h05 - A man suspected of plotting to kill Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was described in the press Tuesday as a mentally unstable nationalist dissatisfied with Ankara's response to a rekindled Kurdish rebellion in the country's southeast.

The suspect, who hid his gun in a loaf of bread, was detained Monday in the western city of Kutahya as he tried to approach the bus Erdogan was boarding after a ceremony there, yelling abuse at the prime minister.

The man, identified as Mustafa Bagdat, told police he had "nationalist feelings" and was unhappy with what he saw as government inaction against separatist Kurdish rebels, the wide-circulation Hurriyet newspaper reported.

"The government is doing nothing while our soldiers are being martyred every day. I am very much disturbed by this," he was quoted as saying in statement to the police.

In television footage of the incident, Bagdat was heard yelling at Erdogan: "We lost five martyrs yesterday. Do you care at all?"

He was referring to the death of five soldiers Sunday in clashes with militants of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has markedly intensified attacks on the Turkish army in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

In a landmark speech last month, Erdogan pledged that the Kurdish conflict would be resolved with "more democracy," drawing angry reactions from nationalists.

Police officials, quoted by the daily Sabah, described Bagdat as "psychologically unstable but not insane."

Kutahya's chief prosecutor said Monday that the "initial assessment" of the incident showed that Bagdat was plotting to assassinate Erdogan.

Police seized a blank pistol modified to fire real bullets hidden in one of two loaves of bread Bagdat was carrying in a plastic bag.

Bagdat remained in police custody Tuesday and was yet to be formally charged.

Erdogan played down the incident, saying that some people in Turkey "have not yet understood democracy."

"There is only one authority we are accountable to and that is God," he said late Monday. "And concerning our responsibility to the people, we are held accountable at every election."