02.09.2026 12:30
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi announced that 22 suspects sought with red notices were captured in a joint operation in Georgia, and 11 of them were extradited to Turkey. Minister Çiftçi stated, 'No country should be a safe haven regarding matters concerning another country's security,' and said they pursue criminals wherever they flee.
Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi made statements to journalists at Turkey's Embassy in Tbilisi regarding his visit to Georgia and the current agenda.
Çiftçi reminded that they held one-on-one and inter-delegation meetings with Georgian Minister of Interior Sulkhan Tamazashvili, and stated that they directly conveyed their expectations and demands to Tamazashvili.
Minister Çiftçi said, "As a result, we reached an agreement with the Georgian Minister of Interior on further developing and deepening our relations. Georgia is not just a neighbor for us; it is also a friendly and allied country and our strategic partner. Therefore, we need to develop our relations in every field."
JOINT FIGHT AGAINST CROSS-BORDER CRIMES
Çiftçi explained that one of the important points of their visit was to further increase their contacts with the Georgian Ministry of Interior in the fight against cross-border crimes, drugs, irregular migration, and public order offenses, and to ensure the extradition and deportation of individuals who committed crimes in Turkey and are residing here. He recalled that the Georgian Ministry of Interior extradited a total of 866 people, including 438 people within this year.
"EXTRADITIONS WILL INCREASE FURTHER"
Çiftçi stated that they believe these extraditions will increase further after their visits, and said:
"In recent days, on August 23-24, our police organization and Georgian authorities carried out a joint operation. As a result, 22 individuals we were seeking with red notices were apprehended. Georgian authorities extradited 11 of these 22 individuals to us, and 11 are currently in prison for crimes they committed here. They will ensure their extradition after they serve their sentences.
Individuals who commit crimes in our country and flee abroad will not escape our reach by running elsewhere. Wherever they go in the world, no matter which country they flee to, we will track them down. Through visits like these, we will not let them go, we will develop bilateral relations, and we will catch them and hand them over to Turkish justice. This was one of the main purposes of this visit. I believe its purpose has been achieved."
MESSAGE OF "SAFE HAVEN" FROM MINISTER ÇİFTÇİ
Emphasizing that they will also increase their relations with other countries, Çiftçi said, "Our understanding and belief is that no country should be a safe haven regarding matters concerning another country's security. As the Republic of Turkey, we do not see our country's security as separate or independent from the security of other countries. If Turkey is peaceful, its neighbors are peaceful, and the region is peaceful. If Georgia is peaceful, the Republic of Turkey is also peaceful. Therefore, we see our own security as equivalent to the security and peace of the region."
"WE CHASE THEM WHEREVER THEY FLEE"
Minister Çiftçi stated that they have shown that a person who commits a crime in Turkey cannot escape their hands by fleeing to Georgia, Germany, Italy, or any other country in the world, and continued:
"This year, we conducted 1,524 operations against 545 organized crime groups in Turkey. As a result, we ensured the arrest of 6,620 individuals. Of course, some of them flee to neighboring countries to escape justice and accountability. As the Ministry of Interior, we chase them wherever they flee. Therefore, we will continue these efforts with increasing intensity from now on."
FIGHT AGAINST CYBER CRIMES
Regarding the fight against cybercrimes, Minister of Interior Çiftçi provided the following information: "Between January 1 and August 20, 2026, that is, during the 8-month period, we have identified 171,656 individuals as crime elements. This was around 117,000 during the same period last year. So, we have nearly doubled this number."
Çiftçi stated that as a result, some individuals have been detained, arrested, or released under judicial control.
Noting that crimes are now increasingly being committed in the "cyber realm," Çiftçi said, "Even though they are committed in the cyber realm, the victim is real, the defrauded person is real. Therefore, just as we patrol the streets in Turkey and combat public order crimes, narcotics crimes, and other crimes, we also continue this fight in the cyber realm. We do not let them go there either. As the Ministry of Interior, we continue to fight all types of crimes on every platform."
SECURITY AT SCHOOLS
Mustafa Çiftçi reminded that there is little time left before schools open and reported that the Ministry of Interior, along with 7 ministries, is preparing a protocol.
Minister Çiftçi shared the following:
"We will probably come together with our Ministers within the coming week. This includes our Minister of National Education, our Ministry of Family, our Ministry of Youth and Sports, our Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and our Ministry of Justice. We will sign a protocol with them. Our aim is to make our schools more secure. We want our children to leave their homes safely and come to school safely. During their time at school, they should not be subjected to any physical or psychological violence. After leaving school, they should similarly reach their homes safely."
Çiftçi stated that the Ministry of Labor and Social Security has provided a staff quota of 31,000 school garden officers, and said, "We will hire garden security personnel. We will assign them to schools to ensure the security of the school garden. This year, we will use them more instead of watchmen and police officers."
"THE HEALTH ORGANIZATION WILL BE INFORMED OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES DETECTED"
Çiftçi noted that governors and district governors hold school security meetings every month and expressed the following:
"Here, we already assign police to schools with 1st and 2nd degree risks. For schools with 3rd and 4th degree risks, we have school liaison officers from our police. Our Ministry of National Education is increasing security in schools from their side. Our Ministry of Family and Social Services is also increasing it, our Ministry of Health is taking measures, and our Ministry of Youth and Sports and our municipalities are developing measures to keep children occupied and prevent them from spending their time after school in internet cafes or doing useless things in other places."
Çiftçi explained that these 7 ministries are taking measures in areas falling under their respective responsibilities and emphasized that they aim not to leave any gaps in the system from now on.
Minister Çiftçi continued his words as follows:
"For example, if a child is psychologically distressed and needs treatment, and if the school detects this, the health organization will definitely be informed of it. After being referred to the health organization, the police and gendarmerie will definitely be informed. If a child exhibits behavior that constitutes a crime, the police and gendarmerie will take the necessary measures within their authority."
The security forces will also be notified so that there is no disruption in the system. After that, we do not want to experience sad incidents like in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa. With a more comprehensive planning and precautions, we plan to open schools and continue education this year.”
"NO CONCESSIONS TO PROVOCATION AND SABOTAGE"
Stating that as the Ministry of Interior, they closely monitor the field to ensure that the "Terror-Free Turkey" process does not fail and achieves full success, Çiftçi said:
"In the past days, isolated incidents occurred in Diyarbakır. Some people hung photographs of certain individuals or members of the terrorist organization on poles. After we received this information, we contacted our Diyarbakır Governorship. The addresses of those individuals were identified, and they were detained before dawn the next day.
Therefore, I also have a call to those who want to disrupt the process: do not bother trying. As the Ministry of Interior and as other state institutions, we are closely following the process. We will not allow any provocations or sabotage. If anyone is contemplating such thoughts, I advise them to turn back from this wrong path. We are the followers of the process. The Monitoring Board, established under the chairmanship of our Vice President, is already closely monitoring these developments. We are taking all kinds of precautions."