30.01.2026 08:41
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared details of the operations against drugs carried out by the gendarmerie over the last two weeks in 23 provinces. Minister Yerlikaya reported that 6 million drug pills and 270 kilograms of narcotic substances were seized during the operations. A total of 521 suspects were apprehended, and 177 of them were arrested.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared the results of comprehensive operations conducted by the gendarmerie against drug dealers with the public. Yerlikaya announced that in the operations carried out over the past two weeks in 23 provinces, 6 million drug pills and 270 kilograms of drugs were seized.
521 SUSPECTS ARRESTED, 177 DETAINED
Stating that they have apprehended 521 suspects as part of the operations, Yerlikaya expressed that 177 of these individuals have been detained, 91 suspects are under judicial control, and proceedings regarding the other suspects are ongoing.
SALES MADE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Yerlikaya reported that the suspects sold drugs through social media and messaging applications, and it was determined that they organized drug trafficking systematically. He stated that the operations were carried out in coordination with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices and the Gendarmerie Narcotic Crimes Combat Department.
SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS IN 23 PROVINCES
Simultaneous operations were conducted in Afyonkarahisar, Ağrı, Aksaray, Ankara, Antalya, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bitlis, Bursa, Hakkari, Istanbul, Izmir, Karabük, Kastamonu, Konya, Malatya, Manisa, Muğla, Sakarya, Samsun, Tekirdağ, Uşak, and Van with the participation of 46 narcotics and public order teams and 414 personnel from the Provincial Gendarmerie Command.
"WE ARE BREAKING EVERY LINK IN THE CHAIN ONE BY ONE"
Emphasizing that the fight against drugs is a determined mobilization, Yerlikaya stated, "Our war on drugs is multi-layered and multi-dimensional. We are breaking and throwing away every link in the chain, from the leader to the manager, from the producer to the dealer, with large operations one by one." Yerlikaya also congratulated all units involved in the operations.