Turkey detains 104 IS suspects in nationwide operations
Istanbul, Aug 7 (IANS) Turkish gendarmerie forces detained 104 suspected Islamic State (IS) members and supporters in coordinated nationwide operations on Friday, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
The operations were conducted simultaneously across 30 provinces by provincial gendarmerie commands, in coordination with the Gendarmerie General Command’s Counter-Terrorism Department and local prosecutors, the ministry said in a statement posted on social media.
According to the statement, the suspects are accused of providing financial support to the IS through affiliated individuals and purported aid organisations, spreading the group’s propaganda on social media, and being members of the group.
Prosecutors have launched investigations into the suspects, it added, Xinhua News Agency reported.
In June, a suspected member of the Islamic State (IS) was killed, and his wife wounded during a police operation in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The operation was launched in the Haymana district after authorities received intelligence that the suspect had been issuing attack directives via social media, Demiroren News Agency said.
Special operations police raided a residence in the Sazagasi neighbourhood, triggering a shootout after the occupants opened fire on security forces.
The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Muhammed Kavi, was killed in the clash, while his wife was wounded and taken into custody, according to the report.
Investigators found that Kavi had been in contact with IS operatives through online platforms and had participated in the group’s online chat channels.
On June 10, Turkish authorities detained 47 suspects in a nationwide sweep across 21 provinces targeting the Islamic State (IS).
During the operation led by prosecutors of the province, police conducted simultaneous raids in provinces including Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara, detaining 47 individuals suspected of providing financial support to IS.
An analysis of financial records by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board found that they had carried out transactions totalling 108 million Turkish liras (about 2.3 million US dollars).
–IANS
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