Tragedy in Istanbul: Police Officer Dies After Drug Raid Incident

A police officer named Emre Albayrak died following a drug raid in Istanbul, during which he was shot. The raid was part of efforts to counteract the rising drug-related crime in Turkey. The assailant was killed and two others were detained during the operation.

A Turkish police officer died on Monday after being shot during an early morning drug raid in Istanbul, as reported by local officials. The officer, Emre Albayrak, succumbed to his injuries in a hospital after participating in a special operation in the Cekmekoy district on Istanbul's Asian side.

The Istanbul Governor's Office released a statement confirming that Officer Albayrak, who was gravely wounded in the narcotics operation, could not be saved despite extensive medical efforts. The individual who fired upon the police was killed in the incident, and two additional suspects were taken into custody.

In recent years, Turkey has seen a significant increase in drug-related criminal activity, with a 23 percent rise in such incidents reported last year compared to 2023. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared on social media that 970 suspects had been arrested in nationwide counter-narcotics operations over the past week, underscoring the intensified efforts against drug crimes across the country.