ANKARA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces have detained 161 suspected Islamic State (IS) members in week-long nationwide raids, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday.
The suspects were believed to have been active within IS and have provided financial support to the group, Yerlikaya said in a statement.
Police seized unlicensed weapons, organizational documents and digital materials during the raids, the statement said, adding that the suspects remain in custody for questioning and legal proceedings.
Also on Friday, the minister said on social media that over the past two weeks, the country detained 233 suspects in sweeping, simultaneous counterterrorism raids across more than 30 provinces.
The Turkish government designated IS as a terrorist organization in 2013, blaming it for a series of deadly attacks in the country. Since then, the country has carried out counter-terrorism operations both domestically and abroad to crack down on IS members and activities. ■