Turkey Raids 209 Suspects Ahead of NATO Summit

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish security forces detained more than 200 people in raids across the capital Ankara on Tuesday, weeks before a major NATO summit. Prosecutors issued detention orders for 241 suspects. Police and gendarmerie units arrested 209 of them, according to the chief prosecutor’s office. Raids were still underway to capture the remaining suspects. Among those detained were 56 alleged members of the Islamic State group and 35 members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front, a far-left group known for armed attacks and assassinations in Turkey. The raids come ahead of the July 7–8 NATO summit in Ankara. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend along with other leaders from the 32-member alliance. Turkey is preparing strict security measures for the summit. Authorities plan to ban demonstrations, restrict road access to airports, and seal off areas around the summit venue and hotels hosting delegations. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made security a priority. Last month, security forces detained 324 people suspected of links to the Islamic State group in a nationwide sweep. The Islamic State group has carried out numerous deadly attacks in Turkey, including a 2017 New Year’s Eve shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.