Turkey Detains 209 Ahead of NATO Summit06/23 06:15

   

   ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Security forces in the Turkish capital carried out 
sweeping raids on Tuesday ahead of next month's NATO summit, and detained more 
than 200 people with suspected links to extremist groups, including the Islamic 
State group.

   U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to join other leaders of the 
32member alliance in Ankara for the July 7--8 summit.

   Turkey is planning strict security measures for the summit, including 
banning demonstrations and restricting access to roads leading to airports, as 
well as sealing off areas around the summit venue and hotels hosting 
delegations.

   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 links to the Islamic State 
group in a nationwide sweep.

   Early on Tuesday, Turkish prosecutors issued detention orders for 241 
suspects, and 209 of them were subsequently taken into custody in police and 
gendarmerie raids around Ankara, according to a statement from the chief 
prosecutor's office. The raids were still underway later Tuesday to take in the 
rest of the suspects.

   Among those detained were 56 alleged Islamic State militants and 35 members 
of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front, a farleft group known 
for armed attacks and assassinations in Turkey.

   The Islamic State group has also carried out numerous deadly attacks in 
Turkey, including the 2017 New Year's Eve shooting at an Istanbul nightclub 
that killed 39 people.