7 arrested in anti-terror operations in Istanbul

By Halil Demir, Halis Akyildiz and Ugur Islamoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish security forces arrested at least seven terror suspects in Istanbul early Wednesday.

Counter-terrorism police teams launched operations to arrest eight operatives of the outlawed far-left terror group Turkish Communist Party /Marxist-Leninist (TKP/ML) who were plotting terror attacks, according to a source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Police teams arrested the suspects and seized a vast amount organizational documents and digital material during raids at eight addresses in six separate districts of Istanbul.

A search is underway to find another fugitive suspect, the source noted.

Founded in 1972 in Turkey, TKP/ML is an outlawed group who carries out illegal activities, as well as armed attacks to establish a Marxist-Leninist rule in the country. It is listed as a terror organization in Turkey.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara