Turkey says it foiled planned Christmas and New Year attacks after arresting 115 suspected ISIL operatives in Istanbul. Raids at 124 locations yielded weapons, ammunition and organisational documents, while 22 suspects remain at large. The coordinated operation targeted financiers and propagandists with foreign contacts and comes amid broader regional actions against ISIL, including recent US strikes in Syria.
Turkey Detains 115 Suspected ISIL Operatives in Istanbul Ahead of Holiday Celebrations
Members of a Turkish special forces unit prepare for action [File: Deniz Toprak/EPA]
Turkish authorities say they disrupted planned attacks on holiday gatherings after detaining 115 people suspected of ISIL membership in Istanbul. The arrests followed coordinated raids at 124 locations on Thursday, the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office said.
Operation Details
Authorities said officers seized firearms, ammunition and documents described as related to the group's organisational activity. The sweep — carried out by intelligence services, police and military units — also targeted individuals accused of financing ISIL operations and disseminating propaganda.
Officials reported that 22 suspects remain at large and that investigators are continuing efforts to locate them. The prosecutor's office added that many of those arrested had contacts with ISIL operatives outside Turkey, highlighting the transnational nature of the network.
Wider Context
Turkish officials framed the arrests as the latest stage in an ongoing campaign against ISIL, which they rank as the country's second-most serious terrorism threat. Turkey's long border with Syria, where ISIL still maintains a presence despite losing its territorial caliphate in 2019, has made it a focal point for the group's activity.
Authorities say some suspected members entered Turkey following the collapse of ISIL's self-declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria. Turkey formally listed ISIL as a terrorist organisation in 2013; between 2013 and 2023, the Turkish presidency reports more than 19,000 arrests and the deportation of over 7,600 foreign nationals for alleged links to foreign armed groups.
Regional Developments
The arrests follow a large round of detentions in March, when Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the detention of 298 suspected ISIL members across 47 provinces. They also come days after US forces carried out strikes in Syria against ISIL targets — operations officials said hit more than 70 sites in retaliation for an ambush near Palmyra that killed two American soldiers and an interpreter.
Meanwhile, Syria's new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged cooperation with international partners against remaining ISIL elements; Damascus reported the arrest of a senior ISIL figure inside Syria this week.
Note: The prosecutor's office provided the primary details of the operation and the items seized. Investigations and searches are ongoing.
