Turkey detains 20 ISIL suspects in Antalya ahead of G20 summit

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Turkey detains 20 ISIL suspects in Antalya ahead of G20 summit

At least 20 people suspected of links with the so-called Islamic State were arrested in Turkey on Friday, in a region due to host a major gathering of world leaders in a week’s time.

ISIL-related materials are also said to have been seized in raids in the southwestern province of Antalya, where Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin are among those due to attend the G20 summit.

Two of those detained are reportedly Russian.

Turkey is imposing tight security ahead of the Nov.15-16 summit. It will be held in a beach resort away from the centre of Antalya city, with some 11,000 police officers on duty to assure security.

Turkish authorities have blamed ISIL for deadly attacks including last month’s double suicide bombing of a pro-Kurdish rally in Ankara which killed more than 100 people.

Earlier this week, Turkey said it had arrested nine suspected ISIL members believed to have been preparing a suicide blast in Istanbul.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-07