More than 50 detained in anti-terror operations in southern Turkey
Hurriyet Daily News with wires
The operations were held in the southern provinces of
The police raided 17 different spots in
Police also engaged in a shootout with militants in
The leader of the Vasat organization, Shahmeran Sari, was detained during the operations, the private Dogan News Agency reported. Sari was sentenced to prison as the perpetrator of a bomb attack in 1997 that killed one and injured 22 others, the report added. Sari was released from prison a while ago, Dogan also reported.
The detained suspects were launching operations in line with the directives from Sari, DHA reported, adding that they were holding meetings in Sanliurfa and collecting money in the name of the organization.
Three notebook computers and seven hard-drives belonging to the organization were seized by police.
Interrogations had started for the 13 suspects who were detained in Sanliurfa, DHA also reported, adding that efforts were ongoing to capture more suspects, whose names were not announced.
The Vasat organization is known for bombing a bible-selling stand in a fair area in 1998, killing a child. The organization also killed a police chief in a clash in Sanliurfa province in 2000.
