ISTANBUL: Turkey announced on Wednesday that it has detained 56 high-priority suspects sought by 18 countries for a range of crimes, including drug dealing, money laundering, murder, counterfeiting, and assault.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya revealed that these individuals were listed on Interpol’s “red notice” on diffusion message systems, prompting coordinated security sweeps across 11 provinces, including Istanbul.
The detained suspects are wanted by various nations, including the United States, Germany, India, several former Soviet republics, and other parts of Asia and the Middle East. While the names of the suspects were not disclosed, the operation underscores Turkiye’s commitment to international cooperation in addressing transnational crimes.
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The Turkish Interior Ministry and the MIT intelligence service have been actively conducting high-profile raids in recent weeks. Prior to this operation, they detained over 200 individuals allegedly linked to Daesh group jihadists in two separate series of raids ahead of New Year celebrations. Additionally, 34 people accused of spying for Israel were apprehended in a recent announcement.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, recognized as a close and ambitious political ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been at the forefront of these major arrests since his appointment last year. Despite rumors, he has ruled out running as the mayor of Istanbul in the upcoming elections, choosing to maintain his role as the interior minister.
The political landscape in Turkiye is currently charged as Erdogan’s Islamic conservative party aims to regain control of the country’s three main cities—Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir—from the secular opposition in the upcoming March polls. The detention of high-priority suspects reflects Turkiye’s commitment to combating international crime and maintaining security within its borders.
