56 criminals wanted by Interpol arrested in major op

ISTANBUL

Turkish authorities have apprehended 56 individuals wanted by Interpol in an operation spanning 11 of the country's 81 provinces, each subject to red bulletins and diffusion messages – an urgency mark pending a red notice – issued by 18 countries.

The arrests were announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya yesterday, highlighting the collaborative efforts of provincial police directorates in Istanbul, Antalya, Sakarya, Bolu, Çanakkale, Eskişehir, İzmir, Manisa, Muğla, Şanlıurfa and Yalova.

The international suspects were sought by various nations, including the United States, Germany, Israel, Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia, the minister elaborated on X.

The detained individuals faced a myriad of charges, including criminal organization membership, drug trafficking, money laundering, assault, counterfeiting, robbery, fraud, migrant smuggling, manslaughter, prostitution, theft, smuggling, bribery, corruption and forgery, as disclosed by Yerlikaya.

The raids follow a prior operation targeting the notorious Şahinler (Şahins) criminal organization. Among those arrested was the alleged ringleader, İlkay Yılmaz, while Sedat Şahin, the group's previous leader, was among the 41 detainees in last September's operation, when the organization was thought to have collapsed.

The crime group was implicated in seizing businesses in the tourism hotspot of Antalya through coercion tactics, including intentional injury, property damage, threats and insults directed at business owners.