Ankara, June 24:
Security forces in the Turkish capital carried out sweeping raids on Tuesday ahead of next month’s NATO summit, and detained more than 200 people with suspected links to extremist groups, including the Islamic State group.
US President Donald Trump is expected to join other leaders of the 32-member alliance in Ankara for the July 7–8 summit.
Turkey is planning strict security measures for the summit, including banning demonstrations and restricting access to roads leading to airports, as well as sealing off areas around the summit venue and hotels hosting delegations.
The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has prioritised security and authorities regularly carry out security raids. Last month, security forces detained 324 people suspected of links to the Islamic State group in a nationwide sweep.
Early on Tuesday, Turkish prosecutors issued detention orders for 241 suspects, and 209 of them were subsequently taken into custody in police and gendarmerie raids around Ankara, according to a statement from the chief prosecutor’s office. The raids were still underway later Tuesday to take in the rest of the suspects.
Among those detained were 56 alleged Islamic State militants and 35 members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front, a far-left group known for armed attacks and assassinations in Turkey.
The Islamic State group has also carried out numerous deadly attacks in Turkey, including the 2017 New Year’s Eve shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.