ISTANBUL, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Twenty suspects were detained in Türkiye's largest city Istanbul in a series of coordinated operations against the Islamic State (IS), Turkish authorities said Tuesday.
According to a statement released by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, security forces carried out two separate investigations into alleged financing activities linked to the IS network.
In the first investigation, the authorities identified 19 suspects, who were allegedly involved in transferring funds to IS members.
Simultaneous detention and search operations were conducted at several locations across the city, resulting in the arrest of 14 suspects. Efforts are continuing to locate the remaining five fugitives, the prosecutor's office said.
In a separate investigation, six additional suspects were taken into custody on charges of financing IS.
Türkiye designated IS a terrorist organization in 2013 and has since suffered multiple attacks carried out by the group.
In recent years, Turkish authorities have stepped up efforts to disrupt IS financial networks, targeting money transfers, informal remittance channels, and support cells operating across the country. ■
