During his visit to Izmir, the Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, met with local shop owners on Forbes Street in the Buca district, where he listened to their requests and asked for support for the candidates of the People’s Alliance in the upcoming local elections. He later attended a program titled “Turkey’s Peace, Izmir’s Peace” at the Izmir Economy Congress Building, where he greeted the participants for Ramadan.
Yerlikaya emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and security as the main responsibility of the Ministry of Interior, stating that they are working towards achieving “Turkey’s peace.” He highlighted the role of terrorism as a tool to disrupt and demoralize nations in asymmetric warfare. He shared statistics of the anti-terror operations conducted between June 1, 2023, and March 15, 2024, revealing that a total of 830 terrorists were neutralized, including 60 killed, 649 captured alive or injured, and 121 surrendered.
The Minister also reported on the ongoing operations against organized crime groups, stating that a total of 1127 operations were carried out during the same period, resulting in the apprehension of 7770 suspects with 2804 of them being arrested. Furthermore, 417 organized crime syndicates were dismantled, with 17 of them in Izmir alone. Yerlikaya highlighted the success in apprehending 377 individuals who were wanted with a red notice and the significant efforts in combating drug trafficking.
Addressing the issue of unauthorized migration, Yerlikaya mentioned that 235,925 irregular migrants were captured during the specified period, and the entry of 159,302 migrants into the country was prevented. He emphasized the importance of cooperation in efforts to maintain peace and security, underscoring the need for unity and support among all stakeholders to foster a positive and collaborative environment.
With the upcoming local elections on March 31, Yerlikaya assured the public of the Interior Ministry’s commitment to ensuring a peaceful and secure electoral process. He emphasized the duty of all officials to uphold the principles of democracy and provide a safe environment for citizens to exercise their right to vote. The Minister encouraged unity and collaboration among all parties involved in the electoral process, reiterating the government’s dedication to upholding the will of the people in a tranquil and secure manner.
