Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 4,244 individuals wanted for various offenses were detained across Türkiye in "Çember-24" operations conducted over the past week.
In a statement on social media on Wednesday, Yerlikaya said specialized teams within the police, gendarmerie and coast guard were formed to apprehend wanted individuals. He emphasized that crime rates are decreasing as more suspects are arrested.
"We are closing in on those sentenced to prison or wanted by our courts. We will not allow anyone to disrupt public peace or cause insecurity on our streets," Yerlikaya said.
Regarding the "Çember-24" operations, Yerlikaya added: "A total of 4,158 individuals wanted for up to five years, 31 wanted for five-10 years, and 55 wanted for over 10 years were detained. Of these, 689 were wanted for theft, 374 for fraud, 151 for extortion, 62 for premeditated murder, 125 for sexual offenses, 717 for narcotics-related crimes, 73 for terrorism, 474 for organized crime (KOM), 216 for cybercrimes and 1,363 for other offenses."
"I commend our heroic police officers and gendarmerie for their dedication, as well as the prosecutors overseeing these operations."
In his first 90 days as interior minister, Yerlikaya oversaw a substantial increase in counterterrorism efforts, resulting in 43,500 operations that neutralized 214 terrorists and thwarted 44 planned attacks. These efforts mainly targeted the PKK, Daesh and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) to significantly reduce terrorist threats.
Yerlikaya's comprehensive approach includes close cooperation with defense and intelligence agencies, with a strong emphasis on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and advanced technology.
Combating drug trafficking and human smuggling has also been a priority. Between January and August 2024, more than 30,800 anti-drug operations led to the detention of over 50,000 individuals, with more than 21,000 formally arrested. During the same period, anti-smuggling operations apprehended 8,061 suspects, achieving a 94.6% clearance rate for public safety crimes, demonstrating significant progress in crime resolution under Yerlikaya’s leadership.
Efforts to dismantle criminal financial networks have also been a focus, with assets worth approximately TL 1.05 trillion ($30.5 billion) seized. In key regions like Diyarbakır, authorities conducted 27 operations against organized crime, dismantling multiple networks and bringing suspects to justice.
