Turkish security forces heavily clamped down on terrorists, smugglers and crime rings in domestic operations throughout 2023, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Saturday from Parliament in Ankara.
"Continuous operations conducted within the security concept of eliminating the threat at its source have brought the terrorist group PKK to near extinction in Türkiye," Yerlikaya said as he addressed lawmakers discussing the ministry’s budget for 2024.
In the first 11 months of 2023, Turkish forces carried out a total of 29,122 operations targeting terrorist groups PKK, Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ), Daesh and other leftist organizations, according to the minister.
These operations resulted in the arrest of 3,764 suspects and the elimination of 1,069 terrorists, including 59 so-called high-ranking members, Yerlikaya said.
He also informed a total of 145 terrorist plots, 118 of which were bomb attacks, were prevented this year.
Organized crime
Turkish security forces were relentless on organized crime, as well, the minister went on, and targeted international, regional and local criminal rings endlessly.
"The essential strategies we use are increasing capacity in pursuing crime and the criminal, exerting deterrence without waiting for a crime to occur and ensuring visible security," Yerlikaya explained.
He said high technology elements like drones and city security camera systems are filling every gap criminals could exploit.
Türkiye has invested heavily in beefing up its counterterrorism capabilities with homemade drones and weapons, and surveillance equipment in recent years.
"Street by street, we have targeted organized crime groups in 401 operations in the first 11 months of 2023," Yerlikaya said, adding that these operations saw 5,879 suspects detained, 2,088 arrested and 1,356 released under judicial surveillance.
In the same period, Turkish forces busted a total of 326 organized crime groups, 15 of which were national and international, 275 were local and 36 regional, Yerlikaya informed.
Turkish authorities have been combating addiction for the past 21 years and only intensified their work against drug smugglers by basing operations on a two-faceted "supply and demand" strategy, according to the minister.
Similarly, from January to November, a total of 224,605 operations targeted drug cartels where 280,576 suspects were detained and 28,112 were arrested.
"Türkiye is fighting drugs on an international scale, too. We conducted five international operations in six countries in the past 11 months," Yerlikaya said and revealed this collective effort reduced drug-related deaths from 2017’s 941 a year to 136 in 2023.
"This is a major drop but it’s not enough. We’re determined to eradicate drug cartels, which are no different than terrorists for us, at their roots," the minister assured.
He also revealed that a Narcotics Data Analysis System deployed across 30 metropolitans on Nov 1, would take effect in all 81 Turkish provinces as of the New Year.
Terror financiers
In the first 11 months of the year, Turkish security forces also arrested some 163 suspects wanted for allegedly helping fund terrorists and seized over TL 28 million raised for terrorist groups, Yerlikaya revealed.
Authorities have been developing strategies to counter illegal betting and virtual gambling platforms, which also provide significant funds to terrorists, the minister added.
"We have conducted 1,235 operations targeting information systems, payment platforms and illegal betting websites as part of our Cyber-eye operation, Yerlikaya said.
A total of 1,660 suspects were arrested.
Meanwhile, the Cybercrime Department audited 1,000,043 accounts and found 19,948 to be linked to terrorism. Some 190 suspects were detained in ensuing operations.
Smugglers, abusers
In the same period, security forces nabbed 517 suspects in 25,757 anti-smuggling raids while arresting 93 others in 757 operations against child abusers, Yerlikaya further said.
He assured authorities were establishing a city security infrastructure integrated with all systems and characterized by preventive protection backed by a digital system.
Irregular migration
In the fight against migrant smuggling, Yerlikaya said they stepped up efforts on the issue and intercepted 234,092 irregular migrants between January and November in nationwide operations.
He noted that Türkiye is home to more than 3.2 million Syrians in "temporary protection" status, as well as 1,113,761 foreigners with residential permits and some 262,638 others under international protection status.
"Our fight is against irregular migration and migrant smugglers," he assured and said: "We have apprehended 9,256 smugglers in this period and arrested 3,068 of them."
As for the construction of a security wall along Türkiye’s southern border with Iran and Syria, Yerlikaya said 80% of the wall has been completed so far, as well as a 1,234-kilometer-long (766.77-mile-long) patrolling strip.
Türkiye today has mobile migration points in all cities that oversee the processing and humane deportation of irregular migrants, he added.