Turkey detains 2,447 people in operation against criminal groups
In Turkey, police and gendarmerie detained 2,447 people on Monday during the large-scale “Safe Streets” operation conducted in 78 provinces on the first morning of the new school year. The operation targeted groups whose members the authorities say the detainees are, Balkan Insight reports.
Operation in 78 provinces
According to Turkish authorities, those detained are suspected of involvement in crimes including illicit drug trafficking, robberies, arms trafficking, extortion, money laundering and illegal gambling.
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the campaign’s goal is not only to detain suspects but also to dismantle the groups’ financial resources, networks, logistical capabilities and ability to recruit new members.
“We will not leave our streets to criminal organizations. Our children and young people will not become the human resource of criminal organizations,” Gürlek said.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Claims of youth recruitment
The minister also said that criminal groups allegedly recruit young people through social media, seeking to portray involvement in crimes as a source of power and status. According to him, the authorities will continue their fight against street groups which, the minister claims, threaten the safety of cities and the future of children.
Separate detentions of activists
Separately, Turkish police conducted operations in 15 provinces on Sunday, during which they detained members of the LGBTQ+ rights organization Kaos GL, searched activists’ homes, as well as bars and nightclubs. The operations targeted 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses.
Kaos GL reported at least ten detained members of the organization. Courts also blocked access to the websites and social media pages of several LGBTQ+ organizations, activists and human rights defenders, including Kaos GL, Lambdaistanbul, Pembe Hayat and UniKuir.
