Türkish police crack down on six crime syndicates, over 70 detained Video

Türkiye has launched a sweeping operation targeting six organised crime groups, resulting in the detention of 71 suspects across four provinces, the country’s interior minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed on X.

Operations were carried out in Denizli, İzmir, Kırklareli and Istanbul, Caliber.Az reports.

“4 ilde 6 ayrı organize suç örgütüne yönelik yaptığımız operasyonlarda 43 TUTUKLAMA"

➡️ Denizli’de D.S.’nin,
➡️ İzmir'de M.K.'nın (yurt dışı firar),
➡️ Kırklareli’de N.G.'nin,
➡️ İstanbul’da D.A. (yurt dışı firar), İ.A. (yurt dışı firar) ve B.G.’nin (yurt dışında tutuklu) (3… pic.twitter.com/DIy2AIgPPh

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) May 5, 2025

“A total of 71 members of six separate organised criminal groups have been detained in operations conducted in four provinces — Denizli, İzmir, Kırklareli and Istanbul. Among those detained are the ringleaders D.S. in Denizli and N.G. in Kırklareli.”

Yerlikaya added that other suspects include M.K. and D.A., leaders based in İzmir and Istanbul, respectively, both of whom are currently believed to be abroad. Two additional figures — İ.A., who has reportedly fled the country, and B.G., who was arrested abroad — were also named.

Of the 71 suspects, 43 have been formally arrested. Judicial control measures have been imposed on 14 others, while the remaining individuals are still undergoing legal procedures.

Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling organised crime, stating:

“We are determined to cleanse our cities of criminal networks that threaten public safety and social order.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev