Turkish Police Arrest 568 People After Terrorist Attack in Istanbul

Turkish police arrested 568 people in 28 out of 81 provinces, including Ankara, Istanbul, Gaziantep, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Diyarbakir during operation, conducted on December 12-13, according to the Turkey's interior ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkish police arrested 568 people on suspicion of ties to thу Kurdistan Workers Party, outlawed by Ankara, the country's interior ministry said on its website on Tuesday.

On Sunday evening, two separate blasts took place in the central Besiktas district of Istanbul, as a result of which 27 police officers and two civilians were killed. The blasts occurred near the Vodafone Arena about one hour after a football match finished at the stadium. According to media reports, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons militant group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

According to the ministry, the police operation was conducted on December 12-13 in 28 out of 81 provinces, including Ankara, Istanbul, Gaziantep, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Diyarbakir. The detainees are accused of terrorism propaganda via social networks and activities in support of terrorist organizations.

PKK is outlawed in Turkey as a terrorist organization. A ceasefire between Turkey and Kurdish militants collapsed in July 2015, prompting the Turkish authorities to launch a military operation in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern regions.

On Monday, Turkish media reported that the police arrested 118 activists of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as part of the anti-terrorist operation in the wake of the Istanbul attacks.