Turkey Detains 85 in Raids on Gang Linked to Starlink Arson in Poland

Turkish police carried out raids in 30 provinces against the Daltons group, suspected of involvement in the arson of Starlink facilities in Poland, and detained 85 people, including 35 minors, Turkish Minute reported.

The Istanbul prosecutor's office coordinated the operation against the network, which police accuse of recruiting people through social media and adding them to WhatsApp groups where they received instructions for carrying out attacks. Investigators identified suspects who, in their view, were preparing attacks, and conducted raids across the country, detaining them for questioning.

Links to Germany and Russia

The report recalls the detention in Germany of two Turkish citizens on European arrest warrants issued at Poland's request. Suspicions about these men's ties to the Daltons arose from investigations by the German magazine Der Spiegel and the public broadcaster ARD. Turkish investigators believe the Daltons are run from Russia by their alleged leader Beratkan Gokdemir, who uses the name "Can Dalton" and is wanted under an Interpol red notice. Gokdemir was detained in Russia in 2024 but was not extradited despite Turkey's requests. Turkish prosecutors link the network to killings, armed attacks, extortion and drug trafficking. Turkey has also frozen the assets of 399 suspects as part of the Daltons investigation announced in August.

The Starlink fire

On September 23, a fire broke out at a Starlink satellite communications ground station in the Polish village of Wola Krobowska. Prosecutors opened an investigation into sabotage and a terrorist crime on behalf of foreign intelligence. On October 14 it was reported that two Turks detained in Germany on suspicion of setting fire to the station were arrested. More in world news.