JAKARTA - Security forces in the Turkish capital carried out a massive raid on Tuesday ahead of next month's NATO summit, detaining more than 200 people suspected of having links to extremist groups, including the ISIS group.
US President Donald Trump is expected to join leaders of the 32-nation alliance in Ankara for the July 7-8 summit.
Turkey is planning tight security measures for the summit, including banning demonstrations and restricting access to roads leading to the airport, as well as closing areas around the summit venue and hotels hosting delegates, Al Arabiya reported from The Associated Press (23/6).
The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has prioritized security, and authorities regularly carry out security raids. Last month, security forces detained 324 people suspected of having links to the ISIS group in a nationwide operation.
On Tuesday morning, Turkish prosecutors issued detention warrants for 241 suspects, 209 of whom were later arrested in police and gendarmerie raids around Ankara, according to a statement from the chief prosecutor's office.
The raid is still ongoing until Tuesday afternoon to arrest the remaining suspects.
Among those detained were 56 suspected ISIS militants and 35 members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front, a left-wing group known for armed attacks and killings in Turkey.
ISIS has also carried out numerous deadly attacks in Turkey, including a New Year's Eve shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.
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