Minister Yerlikaya makes statement on 'Red Notices'

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya arrived in Kırşehir as part of various visits and inspections. Minister Yerlikaya visited the Kırşehir Governor's Office and met with local tradespeople. He then visited the Ahi Evran Complex, located within the Ahi Evran Külliyesi, and offered prayers. Minister Yerlikaya later visited the AKP Provincial Headquarters and subsequently attended a security meeting held at a private hotel. Making statements after the meeting, Minister Yerlikaya said, "These lands are a symbol of unity, solidarity, and cooperation. They are the lands where the folk songs pouring from the heartstrings of Neşet Ertaş come to life. A short while ago, we came together in this special city with our governor's office, our civil administrators, and our security forces. We received information and held evaluations regarding the work carried out within the scope of general security and public order services in Kırşehir. Internal security is the guarantee of our nation's peace. For us, ensuring internal security means peace within our borders and the provision and continuity of public order in every corner of our country. It signifies that peace and security are felt in our homes, our workplaces, and on our streets," he said.

Stating that they are working for the peace and security of Turkey as the Ministry of Interior, Minister Yerlikaya said, "We know that peace never exists by coincidence. It is achieved with a thousand efforts, sacrifices, and determination. It is woven stitch by stitch with unceasing perseverance and dedication. That is why we act with a strong will and devotion against all kinds of criminal elements, from the fight against terrorism to organized crime, from drug traffickers to cyber threats. Whether within our borders or outside them, our fight against crime and criminals continues with determination. We also share this constantly with our noble nation. We are tracking all criminal hubs that draw breath, especially drug traffickers and urban bandits. We are signing joint operations with many countries regarding cross-border crimes," he expressed.

"THE MESSAGE WE GIVE IS CLEAR"

Stating that they most recently apprehended criminals sought with Red Notices in Georgia, Minister Yerlikaya said, "Most recently, we carried out a joint operation with Georgia. We caught the criminals we were seeking with Red Notices in Georgia. In April, together with the European Police Office Europol, we carried out the 'Bluefin Cloud Operation' (Orkinos Bulut Operasyonu) against drug traffickers simultaneously with the police forces of the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Belgium. Our relations with Interpol are getting stronger every day. Our head of the Interpol-Europol department is also a member of the Interpol Executive Committee. The message we give is clear. We will not allow any organized crime leader or their puppets to take shelter in our country or walk around freely," he said.

Providing information about criminals sought with Red Notices who were caught domestically and abroad, Minister Yerlikaya said, "If we want to give some information about the Red Notices we have caught domestically, again during this cabinet term, we have caught a total of 1,092 foreign individuals, 780 of whom were Red Notices and 312 of whom were Red Diffusions. We see the issue of those sought with Red Notices not only as a judicial follow-up but as a strategic area that shows Turkey's determination to the international public. The capture of these individuals is not just a judicial success. It is also an indicator that Turkey has become a proactive actor in international security policies. We have secured the extradition to our country of 438 criminals we were seeking abroad via Red Notices. We are determined to catch them one by one and deliver them to justice. We are targeting high-profile organized crime members who have been sought for a long time and are hiding abroad, showing everyone that Turkey acts not only internally but globally in its fight against crime. Because we know that, dear friends, protecting peace is harder than ensuring peace," he said.