Two soldiers detained for involvement in operation into Syria-bound intel trucks

ADANA

The trucks were stopped on Jan 19 over suspicions that they carried weapons to Syria. DHA Photo

Two soldiers were detained April 9 as part of the investigation into the search of trucks belonging to the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) in the southern province of Adana for allegedly carrying weapons to Syria last January.

Both soldiers, against whom an arrest order had been issued by a court, were taken into custody from the garrisons in Ankara, where they were assigned. The soldiers were then transferred to Adana where the investigation related with the incident is ongoing.

The trucks were stopped on Jan. 19, causing much uproar as the government slammed the prosecutors and soldiers involved in the operation, arguing that both the truck and the personnel were protected by the legal immunity of the MİT.

Responding to claims, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said the truck was carrying aid to Turkmens in Syria, but did not give details about its cargo. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had also criticized the operation, saying he was the one entitled to give the necessary instructions regarding any decision involving the MİT.

The security officers who stopped the truck were later removed from their positions. Journalists who took pictures of the truck had also been briefly detained.