Istanbul on alert as hunt for gunman reaches 4th day
ISTANBUL — Police increased security around Istanbul on Wednesday and detained some 20 people with suspected links to the deadly New Year’s Eve night club attack as the hunt for the gunman stretched into a fourth day.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the gunman — who killed 39 people during New Year’s celebrations at the Reina club before reportedly escaping in a taxi — had been identified, but did not name him.
Police set up checkpoints across Istanbul as security levels remained high. They stopped cars and taxis, with passengers and drivers holding up their identifications while officers inspected the vehicles.
The city has been on edge since the attack on the upscale club popular with local celebrities, and on Wednesday residents beat up a man said to resemble the wanted gunman before handing him over to police, the Dogan news agency reported.