Turkish police have arrested four men suspected of involvement in activities in support of suspected prime terror mastermind Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, officials said Monday.
Bursa’s police chief, Resat Altay, said two men had been arrested in the northwestern Turkish city. Their interrogation subsequently led to the detention of two others in Istanbul, Anatolia news agency reported.
Altay stated the suspects’ testimonies yielded new clues, which police officials were investigating.
In a written statement carried by Anatolia, Bursa police said the suspects received political and military training in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran and carried out organizational activities in Turkey.
The men belonged to a group called "The Union of Imams," which according to Anatolia, was providing the al-Qaeda organization with logistic support.
The suspects recruited sympathizers from Turkey and sent them to camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran for political and military training, the agency reported.
Police are due to make a detailed statement on the issue later this week, Altay added.
Turkey has lent full support to United States operations in Afghanistan against the al-Qaeda network, AFP reported. Turkey has contributed around 260 soldiers to a multinational security force in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and is expected to take over its leadership when Britain completes its term later on this year. (Albawaba.com)
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