Turkish police detain 20 Islamic State suspects in Antalya resort ahead of G20 summit
The southern Turkish resort will play host to world leaders but the threat of Isil is never far away after two Isil-linked attacks in recent months
Security has been tightened following the recent attacks in Turkey Photo: EPA
By Raziye Akkoc
11:26AM GMT 06 Nov 2015
Turkish police have detained 20 Isil suspects in the southern Mediterranean resort of Antalya, less than 10 days before the start of the G20 summit that will take place there.
The country is on high alert after being hit by two terror attacks killing 135 people in total and the fear that a Turkish cell is plotting another major atrocity, such as hijacking a plane.
The Turkish government will be keen to ensure that the G20 summit, which takes place on November 15 and 16 and will be attended by the world's most powerful leaders, including President Barack Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin, goes smoothly.
Leaders will come together in Antalya to discuss many issues including the war in Syria.
In the latest operation against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), several raids took place simultaneously in central Antalya as well as in another two districts in the city, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
It was reported that "digital materials" were seized by counter-terrorism police and that those detained are reported to have been in touch with Isil in Syria and Iraq. Two were reported to be Russian nationals.
Meanwhile, 40 Moroccans and a Syrian national have been detained for having links with Isil in Istanbul, the city's security directorate's counter-terrorism and intelligence branch said. The group had arrived at the city's Ataturk airport from Casablanca with reports suggesting they were on their way to Syria.
Twenty were deported back to Morocco while 21 remained in Turkey on Friday, English-language Daily Sabah reported.
Since the Ankara twin bombings during which 102 people were killed and 500 were injured, Turkey has increased efforts to tackle Isil extremists and sympathisers with Turkey, carrying out more raids and arrests.
The government initially would not join the US-led coalition fighting Isil fully until a deadly bombing in July. Since then it has allowed the US to use a key air base, Incirlik, for air strikes against Syria.
Ankara has also been criticised for focusing more on the Kurdish separatist rebel threat in its south-east, a claim which Turkey denies, arguing that the rebels are another terrorist threat within the country.
"It is obvious now that the jihadist threat is a very sensitive issue in Ankara, but it is also obvious that PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party rebels] remains their highest priority," a Western diplomatic source told AFP news agency.
On Wednesday, Feridun Sinirlioğlu, the foreign minister, warned that Turkey was preparing to launch a military operation "in the coming days" against Isil but it was not clear whether he meant in Turkey or Syria.
The minister who was in Erbil meeting Massoud Barzani, the Iraqi Kurdish leader of the autonomous region, said: “You will see. We should all stand together against this danger. The occupation of one third of Iraq, and also vast areas of Syria, by Daesh [Isil] has undoubtedly created one of the most serious challenges, Mr Sinirlioglu said, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
