Turkey remands senior ISIL member

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

Turkey has remanded a senior member of ISIL terrorist organization, the country’s interior minister announced on Sept. 1. 

“Daesh’s so-called emir of Turkey was captured and remanded in custody with important plans,” Süleyman Soylu said on Twitter.“

Later speaking to reporters during an inspection in the flood-hit Black Sea province of Giresun, Soylu revealed the terrorist's identity as Mahmut Özden.

He said they reached Özden after launching an investigation following the Aug. 25 arrest of an ISIL terrorist, who was planning an attack in Istanbul.

Özden received instructions from Syria and Iraq, and made groups of 10-12 people to organize protests in Turkey, the interior minister added.

Underlining that the coordinated action is still continuing, Soylu said even other ISIL members are under interrogation.

Özden was arrested in an operation in southern Adana province, security sources said, adding that three others were also rounded up in the same operation over links to the terror organization.

Digital material and computers were also seized in the operation, according to the minister.

Turkey was one of the first countries to declare ISIL as a terror group in 2013.

The country has since been attacked by the Daesh/ISIS terrorists many times. The terror group carried out at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed attacks, which killed 315 people and injured hundreds others.

In response, Turkey launched military and police operations at home and abroad to prevent further terror attacks.