Turkish media said police have carried out raids in six Turkish cities, detaining several people allegedly linked to Al-Qaida, including an employee of a prominent Islamic charity.

The aid organization, IHH, confirmed Tuesday that its storage facility near the Syrian border was searched and an employee was detained. It, however, rejected any ties to Al-Qaida and denounced the police raid as an attempt to discredit the organization.

The Turkish Dogan news agency said police launched anti-terrorism raids in Istanbul and five other cities. It said at least two senior Al-Qaida suspects were detained.

The IHH had organized a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was raided by Israel in 2010. Last week, the group rejected some news reports claiming that it was involved in the shipment of arms to Syria.

