Turkish authorities have arrested more than 200 people suspected of having links to the Islamic State and several outlawed far-left organisations as security measures intensified ahead of next month’s NATO summit in Ankara.
According to the Ankara prosecutor’s office, 209 suspects were detained in operations carried out across the capital on Tuesday, while authorities were still searching for 32 others.
Officials said 185 of those arrested were suspected members of various far-left groups classified as terrorist organisations by the Turkish government.
Among the groups targeted was the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a militant organisation that has previously claimed responsibility for attacks in Turkey.
Authorities said the raids formed part of a broader security operation aimed at preventing potential threats before the high-profile international gathering.
In a related development, the Ankara governor’s office announced late Monday that all demonstrations would be prohibited from June 28 until the conclusion of the NATO Summit scheduled for July 7 and 8.
The summit is expected to attract leaders of the alliance’s 32 member-countries, including US President Donald Trump.
AFP
