Turkish security forces on Tuesday arrested more than 200 people suspected of links to the self-proclaimed Islamic State and other groups that Ankara considers terrorist organizations, prosecutors said.
NATO leaders will gather in the Turkish capital Ankara next month for the alliance’s annual summit, and the government has begun imposing security measures and beefing up policing in anticipation.
US President Donald Trump and leaders of other 31 member countries are expected to attend the summit on July 7-8.
What do we know about Tuesday’s arrests?
The Ankara Prosecutor’s Office said 241 arrest warrants had been issued and 209 people had been detained.
The police operation was continuing in search of suspects.
Prosecutors said 56 of those arrested were alleged members of the so-called Islamic Stategroup and 35 were members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C), a communist group designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and which has claimed responsibility for previous attacks.
Turkish media also reported a separate operation targeting DHKP-C, coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, led to 24 arrests in eight provinces.
How is Türkiye tightening security before NATO summit?
Turkey has long faced violent threats from a number of internal dissident groups and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan frequently launches security operations.
Last month, investigators launched a nationwide operation targeting Islamic State suspects and detained 324 people.
Ankara officials are planning strict security measures for the NATO summit on July 7-8.
It has announced that public demonstrations will be banned from June 28 until the event is completed.
Access to roads leading to airports will be restricted, and areas around the summit venue and hotels hosting delegations will be sealed.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Don’t let algorithms hide news. If you rely on our team for reliable reporting, please take a moment Choose us as a preferred source on GoogleThat’s why you’ll always see our verified news first.