İlker Girit
24 February 2016•Update: 24 February 2016
ISTANBUL
Turkish security forces raided 16 addresses, detaining 14 suspects in Istanbul early Wednesday morning.
Anti-terror police targeted properties in Istanbul's Esenyurt, Kucukcekmece, Avcilar and Buyukcekmece districts on the city’s European side.
Police detained 14 people suspected of making “social media propaganda” for the PKK terror organization. Officers also seized unregistered firearms and organizational documents. Those held were taken to the city’s police headquarters following health checks.
The PKK -- considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in late July 2015.
Earlier this month, police also raided several addresses in Esenyurt, detaining six suspects.
That operation came after a gun attack on a police team patrolling in Esenyurt. The attack left an officer injured.
There have been many arrests across Turkey since the July 20 Suruc suicide bombing that killed dozens of people; most of the suspects detained have alleged links to terrorist groups such as the PKK, Daesh or the DHKP-C.
