TURKISH security forces captured the suspected gunman who killed 39 people at the Reina nightclub attack in Istanbul on New Year's Eve.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, described by officials as a well-educated terrorist who speaks four languages, was detained by cops in the city's Esenyurt district, just 25 miles from where the deadly assault was carried out.

The Uzbek national, who was operating under the alias Ebu Muhammed Horasani, was caught after over two weeks on the run.

The huge manhunt involved around 1,000 cops, detectives and other officers scouring through 7,200 hours of CCTV footage and over 2,000 public tip-offs.

A special operations task force swooped on a council-owned house reportedly rented by Masharipov's friend on Monday night.

He reportedly resisted arrest and was detained in front of his four-year-old son.

The alleged fanatic, said to be 34-years-old, underwent medical checks before being taken to a police headquarters for questioning.

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Officials said he confessed to carrying out the massacre shortly after interrogation began.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters: "The vile terrorist who attacked the place of entertainment on New Year's eve and led to the loss of so many lives has been captured".

He added: "What is important is for the suspect to be captured and for the forces behind it to be revealed."

Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said that the captured nightclub attack suspect is an Uzbekistan national who trained in Afghanistan.

He is believed to have entered Turkey illegally in January 2016, and arrived in the city on 15 December.

Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the alleged attacker.

It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck.

The alleged gunman's friend, reportedly from Iraq, and three women from Somalia, Senegal and Egypt were also were detained.

His son was taken into protective custody following the police raid.

Earlier, his wife and one-year old daughter were caught in a police operation on January 12.

Police established his whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts, NTV reported.

The television channel also broadcast footage showing plain-clothed police taking away a man in a white top and sweat pants, forcing his head down.

The station said the images showed the gunman's Iraqi friend being taken to a police vehicle.

Police were carrying out raids on other suspected ISIS group cells at the same time.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu posted a Twitter message thanking the interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, police and intelligence organisations "who caught the Reina attacker in the name of the people."

Depraved terror group ISIS claimed the attack was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria

The brutal assault took place just 75 minutes into 2017 and also left a reported 69 people in hospital.

At least 600 revellers were celebrating at the popular nightspot in the early hours of New Year’s Day when the attack took place.

The gunman arrived by taxi and produced a weapon, reportedly a Kalashnikov, from the boot before shooting dead a policeman and civilian at the entrance.

Masharipov, an Uzbek national, is said to have arrived in the Turkish city from the centre of the country on December 15.

Hurriyet reports that an ISIS cell operating in the central region of Konya consists of Uzbeks who provided Masharipov with support.

Uzbek fighters have become deeply embedded in ISIS and have fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.

They are also said to have secret outposts in some major Russian cities as well as having ties to Muslim extremists in China.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has said the nightclub attack had been carried out professionally with the help of an intelligence organisation.

He did not name the organisation suspected of being involved.

Hundreds of people were gathered at the swanky Reina nightclub to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017.

Most of the dead in the attack on the upscale club were foreign nationals, from the Middle East.

The gunman reportedly left Reina in a taxi.

Following the massacre distressing images later showed the aftermath of the massacre, with the bloodied bodies of the victims piled on top of each other.

According to reports, terrified partygoers lept into the freezing waters of the Bosphorous river to escape the horrific scenes.

It was initially reported that the killer entered the nightclub wearing a Santa hat, based on early CCTV footage of the attack.

But the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim has said there was no truth to the reports.

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