Türkiye secures extradition of 12 fugitives from 9 countries

Authorities successfully extradited 12 individuals—11 wanted under Interpol Red Notices and one on the national wanted list—to Türkiye from nine different countries, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Wednesday.

“We have ensured the return of 12 fugitives from the United States, Germany (4), Italy, France, Greece, Montenegro, Poland, Kosovo, and Georgia,” Yerlikaya said in a statement posted on social media.

“Since the beginning of this cabinet’s term, we have secured the extradition of 383 fugitives. We’re on their trail—they cannot escape us.”

Photo shows 12 suspects — 11 wanted with a Red Notice and 1 nationally wanted by Türkiye — with pixelated faces and the word “Tutuklandı” (Arrested) written across. (@aliyerlikaya via X)

Key suspects and charges

Those extradited include individuals wanted for crimes such as sexual abuse of minors, homicide, fraud, drug trafficking, robbery, and facilitating illegal migration:

• S.B. – Aggravated sexual abuse (extradited from Germany)
• M.I. – Aggravated sexual abuse (USA)
• E.K. – Child sexual abuse (Italy)
• R.S. – Theft, fraud, threats, violation of residence, property damage (Greece)
• S.C. – Fraud (Montenegro)
• E.C.C. – Intentional homicide (Poland)
• E.O. – Intentional homicide (France)
• A.A. – Drug trafficking (Germany)
• M.K. – Facilitating unlawful exit from Türkiye (Germany)
• R.B. – Theft, assault, drug offenses, property damage (Georgia)
• M.B. – Robbery, unlawful detention, weapons violations (Germany)
• A.Y. – Homicide, theft, prison escape, smuggling contraband into a detention facility (Kosovo–nationally wanted)

Multi-agency coordination

The operations that led to these extraditions were the result of close coordination between several Turkish institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, the Interpol–Europol Department of the Turkish National Police, the Intelligence Directorate, the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Bureau (KOM), the Narcotics Division, the Department for Combating Migrant Smuggling and Border Gates, the Cyber Crimes and Public Order departments, and the Artvin Provincial Police.

Yerlikaya underlined Türkiye’s ongoing determination to track and capture fugitives worldwide, stressing that no criminal can evade justice indefinitely.

June 25, 2025 09:28 AM GMT+03:00