Ankara: Police have found the body of an Italian artist who went missing while hitchhiking in Turkey dressed in a wedding gown to call for peace, officials said on Saturday.

A man suspected of killing the artist, Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, 33, has been detained, the governor's office for northwestern city of Gebze said.

The woman was last seen on March 31 in the mainly industrial city of Gebze, while hitchhiking to Israel in the wedding dress as part of her "Brides on Tour", project aiming to call for peace in conflict areas. She disappeared after using her credit card around noon.

Police found her naked body hidden in bushes in a forested area near Gebze, after questioning the suspect late on Friday, the governor's office said.

The artist, also known as Pippa Bacca, was hitchhiking with a friend, who was also wearing a wedding gown.

The two left di Marineo's hometown of Milan on March 8 and hitchhiked to Turkey together. They separated in Istanbul shortly before di Marineo went missing, with the aim of reuniting in Beirut, Lebanon.

Police tracked down the suspect when he switched on di Marineo's mobile phone, having inserted his own SIM card, an Italian Embassy official said.

The woman had reportedly been strangled with a rope some 10 days ago.

The Italian Embassy official would not confirm the report, saying an autopsy would be conducted on Saturday in Istanbul.