United News of Bangladesh

Turkish security forces have detained more than 200 people in a large-scale operation in the capital Ankara ahead of next month’s NATO summit, targeting individuals suspected of having links to extremist groups, including the Islamic State (IS) group. US President Donald Trump is expected to join leaders of the 32-member military alliance at the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara. Turkish authorities are preparing extensive security arrangements for the event. Planned measures include restrictions on demonstrations, tighter controls on roads leading to airports, and security cordons around the summit venue and hotels hosting foreign delegations. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has placed strong emphasis on security, and similar operations are carried out regularly. Last month, authorities detained 324 people across the country over suspected ties to the Islamic State group. According to the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutors issued detention warrants for 241 suspects early Tuesday. By later in the day, police and gendarmerie teams had arrested 209 of them during coordinated raids across the capital. Efforts to detain the remaining suspects were continuing. Officials said those detained included 56 suspected members of the Islamic State group and 35 alleged members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C), a far-left militant organization known for carrying out armed attacks and assassinations in Turkey. The Islamic State group has been responsible for several deadly attacks in Turkey over the years, including the 2017 New Year’s Eve attack on an Istanbul nightclub that left 39 people dead.