ISTANBUL
Turkish security forces have conducted anti-terror operations in several Turkish provinces including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, on Friday, detaining at least 44 people.
Three people who were suspected of having traveled to conflict zones in Iraq and Syria were detained during operations in five locations in Istanbul’s district of Basaksehir on the European side and in the district of Pendik on the Asian side, according to security sources.
Turkish Police seized a blank firing gun, a short-barreled rifle, bullets, documents and some digital materials, in the houses of suspects.
Meanwhile, anti-terror teams - reinforced by special ops and riot police in western province of Izmir - apprehended 13 suspects in the simultaneous operations against the youth movement of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Patriotic Revolutionist Youth Movement (YDG-H). The teams conducted operations in three districts: Buca, Karabaglar and Konak.
Police seized shotguns, pistols and documents.
In the capital Ankara, in the southern province Adana and in the eastern province of Van, police detained five suspects in operations against PKK.
In addition, eight people were detained in anti-terror operations against PKK in Suruc and Siverek districts of the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, security officials said. Police seized an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, a blank cartridge pistol, 308 bullets as well as documents.
In operations against Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) -- a network reportedly linked to the PKK -- in the southern province of Adana, anti-terror teams detained 10 suspects.
Counter-terror teams, who were reinforced by special ops and a police helicopter, said that they seized five pistols, two shotguns, bullets and cartridges and documents during the simultaneous busts.
Anti-terror teams in southern province of Mersin detained five suspects - including three minors - in the operation against YDG-H, said police.
Since July 24, around 1,700 people have been detained in a wave of counter-terrorism raids, amid a spike in attacks targeting police and the army after a July 20 deadly suicide bombing in the southeastern Suruc district, which killed 34 people -- including the suicide bomber.
The bombing and later deadly attacks on security forces led to a nationwide crackdown on militant groups – primarily Daesh, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the leftist Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front.
All three groups are considered as terrorist groups by Turkey and its allies.
