On April 21, the Turkish special services arrested 34 people on suspicion of relations with Al-Qaeda international terrorism network, including gang leader planning assassination against U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Turkey in early April, the local police reported.
Mahmut Kaplan with Abu Muhammad nickname is the gang leader of the local hide-out of the "Islamic Jihad Union" terrorism organization. Majority of the arrested people belongs to this gang, as well, RIA Novosti reported with reference to NTV channel.
Anti-terrorism operations have been conducted simultaneously in 6 Turkish provinces, including Gaziantep, Shanliurfa, Kahramanmarash in the south-east, Konya and Adana in the south of the country, as well as in Istanbul.
Details of the operations have not been made public. At the same time, it was reported that great number of weapon, as well as documents, including in electronic carriers, with instructions to produce home-made explosive devices which are taught in terrorist camps in Afghanistan were withdrawn from the gang members.
Al-Qaeda members committed several terrorism attacks at the UK Consulate General, London HSBC Bank branch and synagogue in Istanbul in November 2003. At that time, 61 people died and over 600 were injured. Terrorism attacks were held upon the order of International terrorism network leader Osama bin Laden.
