Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Saturday about the recent terrorist attacks in Turkey. Since Monday, Turkey has stepped up efforts against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) after it was assumed to be responsible for killing 32 people in southeastern Şanlıurfa province in a suicide bombing. Two policemen were killed in retaliation on Wednesday. The PKK claimed responsibility for the attack. On Thursday, gunfire from Syria killed a Turkish military officer and injured two soldiers in southern Kilis province, prompting Turkish forces to return fire.
According to sources from the Prime Ministry, Davutoğlu informed Cameron about Turkey's multi-faceted strategy against ISIS, the PKK and the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). Davutoğlu also touched on the significance of Turkey receiving support against threats coming from Syria. Turkey will continue its cooperation with allies to establish stability and security in the region, he added. The two leaders voiced pleasure about the maturing of the process that ensures the U.K.'s participation in training and equipping Syrian opposition fighters.
Cameron said that the U.K. supports Turkey in fighting terrorism and offered his condolences for the attacks since Monday's deadly blast. Police have apprehended a total of 371 people suspected of having ties with terrorist groups in 22 provinces on Friday and early Saturday. In two days of raids early on Friday and Saturday morning, police held a total of 590 people, including at least 37 foreigners, who are suspected of having ties with terrorist groups across the country, Davutoğlu said. An official total number of detentions has yet to be issued, and seven of the suspects detained Saturday were later freed. Since the early hours of Friday, a total of 297 suspects had been detained across Turkey in a nationwide anti-terrorism operation. Many of those detained are thought to be linked to groups like ISIS, the PKK and its youth wing and the leftist DHKP-C.
