At least 170 suspects were arrested Thursday during anti-terror operations across Turkey, according to security officials.
In the capital Ankara, 15 suspects were detained in an operation against the terrorist PKK’s social media structure, a security official, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media, told Anadolu Agency.
A probe by Ankara prosecutors found that suspects were promoting the terrorist PKK through their social media accounts, the source added.
Eighteen others were arrested in the southern Adana province, over similar allegations, according to another security source.
Security officials also found that some of the suspects were involved in the burning of construction equipment in 2012, in Adana.
The operation against the PKK/KCK terrorist groups was launched in the central Yuregir and Saricam districts along with the Ceyhan district.
More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.
The KCK is the transnational political umbrella of the PKK/PYD terrorist group.
Also, 38 suspects, including Syrian nationals, were arrested over alleged links to the terrorist organization Daesh in the northwestern Bursa province’s central Osmangazi and Yildirim districts and Inegol district.
In another operation centered in the southeastern Van province, 22 others were detained in three provinces, according to security sources.
Five additional suspects, including Syrian nationals, were apprehended in the western Manisa province.
In the northwestern Sakarya province, three Iraqi nationals were arrested over alleged links to the terrorist group Daesh, a security source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Some digital materials and money in the amount of $138,000 and more than 50,000 Turkish lira ($13,000) were also seized during the operation at the suspects' address.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in the eastern Bingol province issued arrest warrants for 26 suspects as part of an investigation into Daesh, said a statement by the office.
Later in the day, 21 suspects were arrested during Bingol-based operations, including in Istanbul.
Turkish security forces detained eight others in the eastern Elazig province during an operation against Daesh.
During another operation in Istanbul, six foreign nationals, including one woman, were arrested in the Basaksehir, Umraniye, and Gungoren districts, a security source said.
An operation launched in the southeastern Gaziantep province led to the detention of 17 suspects, according to a statement by the governor's office.
A total of $111,800 in dollars and 55,195 Turkish lira (approx. $14,500), a gun, two chargers, 220 cartridges, two shotguns were also seized along with many digital materials.
More than 300 people have lost their lives in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bomb, rocket, and gun attacks.
Turkish security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to thwart Daesh attacks.
* Yunus Tunur and Omer Bekir Fansa from Adana, Ugur Ulu from Bursa, Necat Hazar from Van, Zekeriya Gunes from Manisa, Emre Ayaz from Sakarya, Aydin Arik from Bingol, Ismail Sen from Elazig, Halil Demir from Istanbul, Ozkan Beyer from Gaziantep contributed to this story.
