- In Turkey, 189 people have been arrested in nationwide raids.
- These are believed to be members of the terrorist organization Islamic State IS.
- Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced this on the online platform X.
According to the information, units of the secret services and police searched additional addresses in 37 cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, last night. Yerlikaya shared photos on X of suspects in handcuffs who were arrested in their homes. The nationality of the suspects and details of any possible attack plans were initially unknown.
Legend:
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Here surrounded by press people, on October 1, 2023 in Ankara, after two police officers were injured in a bomb attack.
Keystone/EPA/NECATI SAVAS
32 suspected IS members had already been caught on Friday. They are said to have planned attacks on synagogues, churches and the Iraqi embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara. Turkish authorities said they had thwarted attack plans.
Regular operations since the attack in 2017
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017, in which 39 New Year’s Eve guests were killed. Since then, Ankara has regularly targeted suspects of the terrorist organization. Just a week ago there were more than 300 arrests in such operations.
According to the International Crisis Group think tank, there are still numerous IS supporters in Turkey who joined the militia in neighboring Syria or Iraq. Their presence continues to pose a humanitarian and security challenge for Turkey, the think tank wrote.