Ali Yerlikaya

Turkish Interior Minister

Appears in 1 story

Born: October 11, 1968, Konya

Party: Justice and Development Party

Education: Istanbul University Faculty of Political Sciences, Istanbul University

Previous offices: Ministry of Interior of Turkey, Governor of İstanbul

Last updated Nov 1, 2026

Stories

Turkey's new year ISIS raids turn deadly

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Overseeing nationwide ISIS crackdown

A six-hour gun battle at 2am in a Turkish village left three police officers and six ISIS militants dead on December 30. Officers İlker Pehlivan, Turgut Külünk, and Yasin Koçyiğit died storming a house in Elmalik where militants used women and children as human shields, refusing police pleas to surrender. Eight more officers and a night watchman were wounded before the standoff ended at 9:40am with all five women and six children evacuated safely.

Updated May 18