Police arrest al-Qaeda members with US Consulate building plan, explosives

According to Tekirdağ police, a person suspected of being an al-Qaeda member had been tracked by police for two years. During this period, police found out that a group of al-Qaeda members had cell houses in the Çorlu district of Tekirdağ and the Büyülçekmece district of İstanbul.

After Tekirdağ police discovered that suspects had obtained a large amount of explosives in mid-February, an operation was launched against the terrorist group. Police raided nine houses in Çorlu and two in Büyükçekmece. A total of 11 people were captured with 22 kilograms of A4 explosives, five rifles, five handguns and maps showing the detailed location of the US Consulate in İstanbul along with a church and a synagogue in İstanbul's Fatih district.