Far-left terror suspect arrested in NW Turkey

By Muhammed Boztepe

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish security teams on Wednesday arrested far-left terror suspect Aytac Unsal in northwestern Turkey along with three human smugglers, one of whom was a PKK terrorist.

The security officials initiated an operation after receiving a tip off that Unsal was attempting to cross to Europe illegally in order escape an inevitable prison sentence, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

He was nabbed in the Edirne province, the gateway to Europe.

From his vehicle, a boat was seized along with a navigation system with coordinates set for his final destination in Europe.

He was planning to cross the Meric River that flows to Greece from Turkey, the statement added.

Unsal, who is also a lawyer, was earlier arrested for allegedly being part of the terror group involved in the case of martyred public prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz. He was later released after going on hunger strike.

The DHKP-C is responsible for a number of terror attacks in Turkey, including a 2013 attack on the US Embassy in Ankara, which martyred a Turkish security guard.

The group is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU.

*Writing by Merve Aydogan