Turkey arrests nearly 170 Daesh suspects in May

By Volkan Kasik

MALATYA, Turkey (AA) - Nearly 170 suspects linked to Daesh were arrested across Turkey last month, according to information from security officials.

The figures show that 43 of the 168 Daesh suspects were remanded in custody to face trial on a variety of charges.

Police, gendarmerie and border guards carried out a number of successful counter-terrorism operations in May, often preventing planned attacks.

On May 21, two foreigners were killed in an anti-Daesh operation in Ankara. During the raid, the plans to two buildings were discovered and Governor Ercan Topaca said the terrorists had planned to attack the Justice and Development (AK) Party’s extraordinary congress later that day.

Three days earlier, eight suspects allegedly planning to conduct attacks on events in Izmir, Istanbul, Erzurum and Mardin during the May 19 national holiday were arrested, a security official told Anadolu Agency at the time.

The suspects were said to have links to Syria, the officials said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Ten Iraqi nationals suspected of overseeing Daesh-run Shariah courts were arrested in the northern province of Samsun on May 11.

On Tuesday, anti-terror police arrested a suspected senior member of the terror group in Istanbul.

Halis Bayancuk, also known as Abu Hanzala, was arrested as part of the investigation carried out by the Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. He is accused of leading of Daesh supporters in Turkey, an official said on condition of anonymity.