Turkish detains 20 IS suspects in before G20 summit

Turkey’s state-run news agency says police have detained a few 20 people suspected of links to the Islamic State group ahead of a G-20 summit near the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya.

Police have carried out several raids across Turkey in the past weeks, detaining dozens of people linked to IS as well as stepping up efforts to prevent suspected militants from crossing in and out of neighboring Syria. Away from the centre of Antalya city, it will be held in a beach resort, with a few 11,000 police officers on duty to assure security.

The Turkish government will keen to ensure that the summit, which takes place on November 15 and 16 and will be attended by the world’s most powerful leaders, including President Barack Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin, goes smoothly.

Russia launched air strikes against fighters including ISIS in Syria more than a month ago and an affiliate group has claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt with the loss of 224 lives last Saturday.

Those detained are reported to have been in touch with Isil in Syria and Iraq and two were reported to be Russian nationals.

Turkey has been on the hunt for IS extremists since twin bombings on a peace rally in Ankara last month that killed 102 people and wounded around 500, the worst such attack in the country’s history. Half of them were deported, while the others were still being questioned.

Erdogan has vowed to press ahead with operations against all “terrorists” including ISIL and the outlawed rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

On Wednesday, nine alleged members of the jihadist group were picked up, amid accusations they were planning a suicide bomb attack on a political party’s offices in Istanbul.