Police detain 50 ISIL-linked suspects across Turkey

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

AA photo

At least 50 suspects purportedly with links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have been detained in anti-terror police operations in multiple provinces of Turkey, with security sources saying ISIL is behind the Ankara bombing that killed more than 90 people and left several hundred wounded.

In the southern province of Adana, seven ISIL-linked suspects were detained early Oct. 11 after Adana Police Department Counterterrorism Unit officers raided multiple homes. The seven suspects were reported to be taken to the police department’s counterterrorism unit for their testimonies.

In the Mediterranean province of Antalya, eight ISIL-linked suspects were detained early Oct. 11 after Antalya Police Department Counterterrorism Unit officers raided multiple homes in Antalya’s Aksu, Kepez and Muratpaşa districts. The eight suspects were reported to have been in direct contact with ISIL militants in Syria and northern Iraq.

In the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, 14 ISIL-linked suspects were detained on Oct. 11 after Şanlıurfa Police Department Counterterrorism Unit officers raided multiple locations in central Şanlıurfa. The fourteen suspects were reported to be taken to the police department’s counterterrorism unit for their testimonies.

In the Aegean province of Izmir, seven ISIL-linked suspects were detained early Oct. 11 for having bomb making materials and running terrorism activities on behalf of ISIL, after İzmir Police Department Counterterrorism Unit officers raided multiple homes. The seven suspects, identified by the initials A.B., M.K., A.D., İ.T., O.D., H.Ç. and Y.K, were reported to be taken to the police department’s counterterrorism unit for their testimonies. An unregistered pistol with its shells, long-barreled weapon shells along with documents related to the illegal organization were also seized in the police raids.

In the central Anatolian province of Konya, 14 ISIL-linked suspects, including a woman, were detained in a pre-dawn anti-terror operation after Konya Police Department Counterterrorism Unit officers raided multiple homes.

The latest series of anti-terror operations against ISIL-linked suspects in multiple provinces came as Turkey saw disastrous twin bombings on the morning of Oct. 10, which killed at least 97 people and wounded hundreds of others ahead of a peace demonstration in Ankara.