Turkish authorities detained 209 people in anti-terrorism operations on Tuesday, prosecutors said, a day after Ankara imposed restrictions on public gatherings ahead of next month’s NATO summit.
Opposition groups said the raids were part of what they called a broader crackdown on democracy and civic freedoms in Turkey.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said arrest warrants had been issued for 241 suspects under investigations into several militant organisations, including Islamic State and the far-left DHKP-C, MLKP and TKP/ML groups.
It said 209 suspects had been detained and efforts to locate the remaining suspects were underway. The prosecutor’s office and the Justice Ministry were not immediately available for comment.
The operations came a day after the Ankara Governor’s Office announced a 13-day ban on demonstrations, press conferences, and other public gatherings from June 28 to July 10, citing security concerns related to the July 7-8 NATO summit.
