A Turkish woman was acquitted for a third time of being involved in a 1998 explosion that killed seven people and wounded more than 120 in Istanbul's 17th-century spice bazaar.

But the long-running legal case against sociologist Pinar Selek is not over yet. A higher court could still reverse that verdict, The Associated Press reported.

Selek, now 40, has been accused of aiding and abetting Kurdish rebels who allegedly planted a bomb that caused the explosion. She was tried alongside a man who later claimed he was tortured by police and forced to testify against Selek.

Selek was acquitted of the charges in 2006 and 2007, but an appeals court overturned both verdicts and ordered new trials.

On February 9, a lower court again found Selek not guilty, but a higher court must decide whether to uphold that ruling.

"Let's hope this verdict will be upheld and the case will finally end," the Anatolia news agency quoted Selek's father and lawyer, Alp Selek, as saying.

Selek, who could be imprisoned for life if she is convicted, has maintained her innocence throughout her 13-year ordeal.

During that time, she spent two years in police custody and claimed she was tortured. But she has since been allowed to leave Turkey and now lives in Germany.