Anti-Terrorist Measures Taken by Turkey

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The Turkish authorities rounded up nearly 450 suspects believe to have ties with Islamic State.  

Authorities in Turkey have increased its operations against Islamic State since 2014 after the group launched a number of suicide bombings in Turkey.

According to security sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, most of the suspects are foreign nationals charged with being a member of an armed terrorist organization.

According to newsline.com, the simultaneous police operation was conducted in at least 18 provinces across Turkey – Ankara, Istanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, Izmir, Konya, Bingol, Adana, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Kilis, Hatay, Corum, Antalya, Diyarbakir and Van.

Anti-terrorism units of the police force have detained 60 Daesh-linked suspects in the capital city of Ankara. Police units have seized among others, books authored by the leader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FTO). The group is seen as the prime movers of the July coup attempt in Turkey where at least 248 people have lost their lives and wounded around 2,200 individuals.

Turkey also has an ongoing operation which started last August. Operation Euphrates Shield is Turkey’s security program that is aimed to eliminate terror threats from Islamic State as well as other terror organization along the Turkish-Syrian border. Currently, there are about 780 people, 350 of which are foreign nationals linked to terrorist organizations, reports newsline.com.