85 people were detained in Turkey in connection with the Starlink arson cases in Poland
In Turkey, 85 people were detained during a large-scale operation against the Daltons criminal group. The group is suspected of involvement in the arson attacks on Starlink facilities in Poland. Raids took place simultaneously in 30 provinces across the country, and 35 minors were among those detained.
On Tuesday, October 27, Turkish police carried out a large-scale operation against the Daltons gang, which operates primarily out of Istanbul. Law enforcement officers detained 85 people suspected of having ties to this network. The operation was coordinated by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office. Investigators verified information about possible preparations for attacks and identified individuals who might have been recruited for criminal activities. Following this, police conducted searches and arrests in various parts of the country.
According to investigators, members of the group may have recruited people through social media. They were then added to WhatsApp groups, where they received instructions regarding future attacks. Law enforcement officials believe that in this way, the organizers were able to recruit new perpetrators and coordinate their actions remotely. The detainees are to be questioned to determine what role each of them may have played in the network’s activities. At the same time, the arrests themselves do not mean that the involvement of all these individuals in the crimes has already been proven.
What links the group to the Starlink arson attacks in Poland
Investigators are paying particular attention to the Daltons’ possible involvement in the arson attacks on Starlink facilities in Poland. This company provides internet access via a satellite network. Its equipment is used in various countries, particularly in places where conventional internet access is limited or unavailable. Information about possible links between the suspects and the group emerged amid investigations in Germany and Poland. Earlier, two Turkish citizens were detained in Germany based on European arrest warrants issued at the request of Polish authorities.
Journalists from the German publication *Der Spiegel* and the public broadcaster ARD drew attention to these men’s possible ties to the Daltons. These investigations were among the factors that helped bring the group’s activities to light. However, it is important to distinguish between suspicions and proven facts. The existence of ties to a criminal network does not in itself prove a specific person’s involvement in the arson attacks. The circumstances of the possible acts of sabotage and the role of the suspects must be determined by investigators and the courts.
Who Leads the Daltons and Why the Group Is Being Sought
According to Turkish investigators, the group’s likely leader is Beratkan Gekdemir, known as Kan Dalton. He is wanted under a so-called Interpol Red Notice. This mechanism is used for the international search for individuals suspected of serious crimes and for their possible arrest, followed by consideration of extradition.
Turkish law enforcement officials believe that Gekdemir may be running the network from Russia. According to their information, he was detained on Russian territory in 2024 but was not handed over to Turkey, despite Ankara’s requests. At the same time, information about the location from which the group is allegedly being run is based on data from the Turkish side. It should be viewed precisely as a version put forward by the investigation, rather than as an independently established fact.
Turkish prosecutors link the Daltons to a number of serious crimes. These include murders, armed attacks, extortion, and drug trafficking. Investigators are examining the network’s activities and possible connections between its members in various countries.
Turkey has frozen the assets of hundreds of suspects
The fight against the group continues beyond mere arrests. In August, Turkish authorities announced the freezing of assets linked to 399 suspects as part of the investigation into the Daltons’ activities. These measures are intended to limit the suspects’ ability to use funds and property that may be linked to criminal activity. The financial restrictions may also help investigators determine how the organized group obtained money and distributed it among its members.
The new operation marks another stage in the investigation into the network’s activities. Turkish law enforcement agencies continue to identify potential participants and examine their connections. A separate line of inquiry concerns suspicions regarding arson attacks on Starlink facilities in Poland and possible coordination of crimes across different countries. According to the publication Turkish Minute, 35 minors were among those detained.
Thousands of people in Istanbul and Ankara took to the streets to protest what they call increasing pressure on journalists and independent media in Turkey. Protesters spoke out against the arrests of journalists, the closure of media outlets, and the appointment of state administrators, according to the Taipei Times.
