Celalettin Lekesiz

German and Turkish police on Jan. 20 announced major coordinated raids against a criminal trafficking network that used unseaworthy ships to send more than 1,700 refugees to Europe.

Turkey has captured more than 2,627 members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including 837 foreign nationals, over the past three years, the state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Having added ISIL to the official list of terrorist organizations in 2013, Turkish security forces have since detained 2,627 suspected ISIL members in anti-terror operations.

British Ambassador to Turkey Richard Moore and Turkish National Police Chief Celalettin Lekesiz have met to discuss support between the two countries on foreign fighters and terrorist threats.

Tweeting about the meeting, Moore said Lekesiz had offered "strong support" in combatting foreign fighters and also the exchange of information on terrorist threats. 

An Interior Ministry decree to reshuffle the police chiefs in Bingöl, Çorum, Ayd?n and Diyarbak?r provinces was published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 20, Anadolu Agency has reported.

Authorities in Turkey have staged a large purge of the police forces, forcing close to 300 officers into retirement amid a recent upsurge in violence directed at the police by out-lawed groups.

The government has informed the opposition parties in parliament about the recent cross-border military operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), though the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) was not briefed.

One Turkish soldier who was killed on July 20 in a gun attack staged by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) in eastern Turkey was laid to rest in a July 21 ceremony.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu also attended the funeral ceremony of gendarmerie soldier Müsellim Ünal, 22, in the southeastern province of Ad?yaman.