MALATYA, Turkey
A total of 739 Daesh members were remanded in custody while 4,765 suspects were arrested for links to the terror group in 2017 in Turkey as the country continues its fight against Daesh with determination.
Last year in March, Turkey successfully concluded the Euphrates Shield Operation in northern Syria, which began in August 2016.
Led by Free Syrian Army fighters, the operation aimed to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate the terror threat along the Turkish border.
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters took Al-Bab, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Aleppo, from Daesh in February last year during Operation Euphrates Shield.
In the wide-ranging operation launched in August 2016, the Free Syrian Army -- with the support of the Turkish army -- had cleared 2,000 square kilometres (772 square miles) of land along the Turkish-Syrian border of terrorist elements.
More than 300 people have lost their lives in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bomb, rocket and gun attacks.
Turkish security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to thwart Daesh attacks.
Timeline for Turkey’s fight against Daesh in 2017 is as follow:
January
A total of 449 suspects were arrested and 120 others were remanded in custody during anti-Daesh operations.
On Jan. 17, Abdulkadir Masharipov, who is accused of killing 39 people in a New Years’ Eve gun attack at an Istanbul nightclub, was arrested in the city’s Esenyurt district.
February
While Turkey continued its fight against Daesh in cross-border operations, the country also conducted anti-terror operations inside the country where 957 people were held. The terror group’s 122 members were remanded in custody and a vast amount of ammunition, as well as explosives material, were seized.
March
Turkey successfully completed Operation Euphrates Shield which was launched in August 2016. In March, 237 suspects were arrested, 52 of whom were remanded in custody.
April
A total of 402 people were arrested in simultaneous operations across Turkey in April; 88 of them were remanded in custody for being members of the terrorist group.
In Istanbul, 49 suspects, including 41 foreigners were arrested for being linked to the Istanbul nightclub attack and reportedly plotting attacks ahead of a referendum.
May
Police arrested 168 suspects during operations conducted in May; 43 were remanded in custody.
In Ankara, two foreigners -- said to be Daesh members who were reportedly planning an attack -- were killed.
Meanwhile, Istanbul police’s anti-terror branch arrested a suspected senior Daesh leader, Halis Bayancuk, according to a security source.
Bayancuk was arrested as part of an investigation against the militant group carried out by Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to media, told Anadolu Agency.
The suspect, who is also known as Abu Hanzala, is also accused of being a leader of Daesh's supporters and sympathizers in Turkey.
June
188 suspects were arrested, 20 of whom were remanded in custody for being Daesh members.
Five Daesh members, who had been arrested along the Syrian border with a vast number of explosives and suicide vests, were remanded in custody in southeastern Kilis province.
In southeastern province of Hatay, five terrorists, including three Syrian nationals were held.
July
512 suspects were arrested, including many foreign nationals; 85 of them were remanded in custody. Turkish security forces thwarted a number of terror attacks.
In central Anatolian province of Konya, five Daesh members were killed while four Turkish police officers were injured during an operation.
In Hatay, eight Daesh members were remanded in custody for planning a suicide attack.
August
A total 48 people were remanded in custody after 268 suspects were arrested. A police officer was also martyred in Istanbul during an operation.
In Turkey’s southeastern province of Sanliurfa, three suspects were remanded in custody.
September
Turkish security forces arrested 135 suspects, including senior Daesh members and foreign nationals; 12 of them were remanded in custody.
In Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Mersin, a terrorist said to be preparing a bomb attack was killed. Around five kilograms of explosives was also seized from the Daesh terrorist.
Police seized an encrypted flash memory hidden inside the shoe of a Daesh member during an operation at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. A number of addresses in Istanbul had been marked on a map. The suspects was remanded in custody.
October
Police arrested 498 suspects; 18 of them were remanded in custody for being members of a terrorist group.
Security forces conducted operations against the terror group ahead of Turkey’s Republic Day celebrations on Oct. 29.
The operations had been conducted in eight provinces, including Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir. A total of 143 suspects were arrested.
In Istanbul’s Bayrampasa district, four suspects were arrested.
November
Security forces arrested 634 suspects while 91 of them were remanded in custody.
December
During December operations, 317 suspects including senior Daesh members were arrested; 40 of them remanded in custody.
A number of possible suicide attacks were also thwarted by Turkish security forces.
Reporting by Volkan Kasik:Writing by Handan Kazanci
