Operations against street gangs conducted in five provinces including Istanbul

Simultaneous operations targeting street gangs were carried out in Istanbul, Muş, Diyarbakır, Erzurum and Tekirdağ. Officials announced that legal proceedings have been initiated against 32 suspects, including three lawyers.

Scraper SystemJune 19, 2026, 12:19 PM

Operations against street gangs conducted in five provinces including Istanbul

Security forces launched simultaneous operations against street gangs in four provinces, including Istanbul. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that legal proceedings have been initiated against 32 suspects, including three lawyers.

Minister Gürlek used the following statements in his announcement: "Our fight against street gangs, organized crime groups, and all criminal structures targeting our nation's peace continues with unwavering determination. We act in full coordination and cooperation with our Ministry of Interior; we never allow any structure that threatens the peace of our cities and the future of our youth."

This morning, under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, simultaneous operations were carried out in Istanbul, Muş, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, and Tekirdağ targeting a prominent street gang, and legal proceedings were initiated against 32 suspects, including three lawyers.

"I would like to clearly state the following: Criminal organizations and gangs are conducting a dirty disinformation campaign by luring our children into their darkness, saying 'you are minors, you won't receive any punishment anyway.'"

"While efforts to further increase penalties continue, our current legal system already imposes severe sanctions when children are involved in serious crimes such as membership in a criminal organization, attempted murder, armed assault, and robbery."

"Our sweeping operations against these structures that try to ensnare our children in the net of criminal organizations, threaten the safety of our streets, and seek unjust gain by intimidating our citizens will continue until they are completely eradicated."

"I thank the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which meticulously conducts the investigation, the Istanbul Provincial Police Department, which successfully executed the operation, and all public officials who contributed to the process."

Operations against street gangs conducted in five provinces including Istanbul