19 Arrests after Al-Qaeda Operation

After operations against people said to have connections with al-Qaeda in Gaziantep last week, 25 people were taken into custody and questioned by the prosecution. Of these, 19 have been arrested.

Extensive security

When those detained were taken for questioning, extensive security precautions were taken. The questioning of the prosecution took ten hours. During this time, the back door to the court building was locked and no one was admitted to the building apart from officers from the Terrorism Branch.

After giving statements, three people were released.

A further two were released to be tried without detention, while the remaining 19 have been arrested. A lawyer for the defense, Osman Karahan, has said that the trial would take place in Adana, a Mediterranean city to the west of Gaziantep.

The police stopped the media from taking photos during the day, so that journalists were crowding around the court building until late at night.  (MG/NZ/TK)