Turkish police detain al-Qaeda suspects


Date posted: January 14, 2014

ANKARA

Turkish anti-terrorism police carried out raids in six cities on Tuesday, detaining at least five people with alleged links to al-Qaeda, including an employee of a prominent Islamic charity group that provides aid to Syria, media reports and officials said.

At least three people were detained in simultaneous police raids in Istanbul while a fourth person was detained in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The police operation comes as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is fighting allegations of corruption it says were instigated by followers of a moderate Islamic movement led by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The government insists that Gulen’s supporters have infiltrated Turkey’s police and judiciary and are out to discredit the government ahead of local elections in March.

The Humanitarian Relief Foundation, known by its Turkish initials IHH and which is close to the government, said that police searched its office in Kilis, near the border with Syria on Tuesday, and detained one of its employees there.

The group, however, said it has no ties to al-Qaeda and denounced the police raid as an attempt to smear the organization by linking it to terror groups.

“This is a deliberate attack on the IHH,” said Yasar Kutluay, the group’s secretary general. “They are trying to portray the group as an organization with links to terrorism.” He blamed Israel and Gulen’s supporters, for the operation.

The group operated a Gaza-bound ship that was stormed in 2010 by Israeli security forces in a raid that killed nine pro-Palestinian activists. It has played a prominent role in providing food and other aid to Syrian refugees in Turkey and its aid workers have crossed into Syria to provide help to people there.

The Anadolu Agency said a Qatari aid organization, working out of the IHH office in Kilis, was also searched, although no one was detained for questioning.

Turkey has been accused of supporting al-Qaeda-linked groups fighting Assad’s regime. The country denies backing jihadist groups.

Source: USA Today , January 14, 2014

Tags: | |


Related News

The real issue is the National Security Council [in Turkey]

A recent report by the Taraf daily indicating that the National Security Council (MGK) had formed a plan to destroy the Gülen movement has sparked discussions. This is only natural, considering that the current political administration is known for its adherence to religious values. This report is huge news because the government failed to oppose the military in the MGK meeting.

Yamanlar College student becomes world math champion

ISTANBUL Osman Akar, a student from the private Yamanlar College in İzmir, has won a gold medal at the 55th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), which was held in Cape Town. Students from 106 countries around the world participated in the event from July 3-13. Akar was among students on a math team chosen by the […]

Did Erdoğan say ‘shut up’ to Gen. Eruygur?

EMRE USLU Liberal daily Taraf has published yet another document showing that the government, back in 2004, signed an agreement with the generals to fight the Gülen movement. The document outlined that the government agreed to prevent Gülen sympathizers from getting jobs in state institutions. Some political observers argue that the document shows that in […]

Draft law on prep schools

The first adverse effect is related to unemployment. The AKP did not keep its promise to provide jobs at public institutions to all the prep school teachers who are not hired by the new private schools. Only teachers with six years of experience will have the chance of being hired at public schools. Thus, tens of thousands of prep school teachers will definitely lose their jobs since only the large, well-established prep schools can take the financial risks of re-establishing themselves as a new private school.

Turkish IT Technician Found Dead While Fleeing To Greece

The body of a Turkish IT specialist, who was fleeing Turkish crackdown, was recovered from a river that divides Turkish-Greek territory. Mr. Zumre is not the only one who tried to cross the Meric river into Greece. Hundreds of professors, journalists, and sacked public employees crossed the river to reach Greece. Many of them are living in Greek refugee camps.

Peshawar High Court halts government order to deport Pak-Turk school staff

Petitioner counsel Qazi Muhammad Anwar argued that all the Turkish teachers are very peaceful people who have committed no crime in Turkey as well as here in Pakistan.” He prayed the bench to suspend the federal government’s notice and stop deportation of the Turkish teachers and their families. The bench accepted the request and restrained the deportation of Pak-Turk schools’ staff.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Animation – Story of Turkish teacher Gokhan Acikkollu, tortured to death under police custody

Never without justice

Why the West ‘failed to understand’ Turkey

‘We see in Mr. Gulen a man teaching God’s words’

Turkey’s post-coup purges shake higher education

Kimse Yok Mu head: Council of State confirms charity’s transparency

South Korean NGO: It’s hard to make sense of what is being done to Kimse Yok Mu

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News