Xinhua Agency, Istanbul, October 14 (Reporter Wang Tengfei) The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Istanbul, Turkey said on the 14th that Turkish police launched a nationwide operation that day and arrested 17 suspects suspected of providing financial support for the extremist organization "Islamic State."

Istanbul¡¯s chief prosecutor¡¯s office said the operation, centred on the city of Istanbul and covering six provinces, aims to dismantle the Islamic State funding network.Previous investigations showed a total of 42 suspects involved in the transfer of about 80 million Turkish lira ($1.9 million) to fund Islamic State activities.

The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office said Turkish police are still hunting other fugitives, 22 of whom are overseas.

Turkey officially classified the Islamic State group as a terrorist organization in 2013. In recent years, the Islamic State group has planned attacks on Turkish territory several times, and domestic security forces have continued to carry out counter-terrorism operations at home and abroad to combat the organization's related networks.