Turkish forces nab 33 Daesh/ISIS, YPG/PKK terror suspects

KAYSERI/MALATYA, Türkiye

Turkish security forces captured 33 people in eastern Malatya and central Kayseri provinces over their links to the YPG/PKK and Daesh/ISIS terror groups, security sources said on Wednesday.

Kayseri’s counterterrorism police arrested eight suspects in simultaneous operations at different locations, the sources said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In Malatya, gendarmerie units caught 25 foreign nationals linked to the YPG/PKK and Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

At least 16 of the suspects were connected to the YPG/PKK, the sources said.

A court in Malatya authorized the arrest of 10 suspects, while 14 were released on bail.

In 2013, Türkiye became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist organization.

The country has since been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed assaults.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terror group’s Syrian offshoot.