Turkey: More than 250 Detained over Alleged Terror Links

Turkish policemen in Istanbul. Reuters file photo
Turkish policemen in Istanbul. Reuters file photo
TT
20

Turkey: More than 250 Detained over Alleged Terror Links

Turkish policemen in Istanbul. Reuters file photo
Turkish policemen in Istanbul. Reuters file photo

Turkish authorities have detained 267 suspects, 161 of them foreign nationals, for their alleged links to terrorist organizations, state news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday.

Police believe the suspected extremists had been plotting attacks for New Year's Eve, the report said without elaborating.

The suspects were detained during raids in 33 cities and provinces between December 20 and 31, Anadolu said, citing a statement from the Interior Ministry.

The nationalities of the foreign detainees have not been made public.

Separately, Turkey's immigration authority was holding 69 foreign nationals over their "links to conflict zones," the report added, according to the German Press Agency.

Police are said to have seized pistols, explosive materials and digital documents linked to terrorist groups in raids against those 69 people.



Chinese Coast Guard Says it 'Warns off' Japanese Aircraft Near Disputed Island Chain

File Photo: A Chinese coastguard vessel is seen close to the islands on Saturday in a picture released by Japanese maritime authorities. Photograph: AP
File Photo: A Chinese coastguard vessel is seen close to the islands on Saturday in a picture released by Japanese maritime authorities. Photograph: AP
TT
20

Chinese Coast Guard Says it 'Warns off' Japanese Aircraft Near Disputed Island Chain

File Photo: A Chinese coastguard vessel is seen close to the islands on Saturday in a picture released by Japanese maritime authorities. Photograph: AP
File Photo: A Chinese coastguard vessel is seen close to the islands on Saturday in a picture released by Japanese maritime authorities. Photograph: AP

China's coast guard said it had taken "necessary control measures" to warn a Japanese civilian aircraft that was flying in the vicinity of a disputed island chain in the East China Sea on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Coast guard vessels deployed helicopters to "warn off" the aircraft just before midday near the disputed islands, which Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu.

The Japanese embassy in Beijing did not immediately reply to a request for comment.