Turkish authorities have arrested 147 people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group (ISIS), Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, AFP reported.
The suspects were arrested in 30 of the country's 81 provinces, the minister said in a message posted on the social network X.
Forty people suspected of belonging to the ISIS group have been arrested in eight of the country's provinces, according to authorities.
Since June 1, 2023, a total of 2,919 people suspected of having links with the jihadist group have been arrested in the country, the interior minister said.
A Turkish security source said two of the suspects arrested for their involvement in Friday's attack in Moscow, claimed by ISIS, had spent several weeks on Turkish territory before returning to Russia by plane on March 2.
"The two individuals were able to travel unhindered between Russia and Turkey as there were no arrest warrants issued for them," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that the two individuals, citizens of Tajikistan, "were radicalized in Russia given their short stay in Turkey." / BGNES
