Turkey detains over 300 over suspected ties with ISIS

Turkey detained more than 300 individuals across 32 provinces, suspected of having links to the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Friday December 22 2023 01:26 pm

Reuters

Turkish authorities have detained 304 people suspected of having ties to militant group Islamic State in operations across 32 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Dec. 22.

32 İlde DEAŞ Terör Örgütüne yönelik eş zamanlı olarak düzenlenen “KAHRAMANLAR-34” Operasyonlarında 3⃣0⃣4⃣ şahıs yakalandı❗

Aziz Milletimizin huzuru, birlik ve beraberliği için teröristlerin hiçbirine göz açtırmayacağız. Güvenlik güçlerimizin üstün gayretleriyle mücadelemize… pic.twitter.com/WKlpZVGMeN
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) December 22, 2023

The majority of the suspects were detained in Turkey's three biggest cities of Ankara, Istanbul and İzmir, Yerlikaya said on social messaging platform X. He said the operation, "Operation Heroes-34", was carried out simultaneously across the country.

"We will not allow any terrorists to open their eyes, for the peace and unity of our people. We will continue our battle with the intense efforts of our security forces," he said, sharing footage of the operations which showed police entering apartments and buildings and dragging suspects into vehicles.

ISIS controlled one third of Iraq and Syria at its 2014 peak. Though beaten back, it continues to wage insurgent attacks.

It has conducted numerous attacks across Turkey, including on a nightclub in Istanbul on Jan. 1, 2017, in which 39 people were killed.

Authorities have ramped up operations against Islamic State and Kurdish militants in recent weeks, after Kurdish militants detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara on Oct. 1.

Turkey regularly conducts operations at home and in northern Iraq on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which it regards as a terrorist organization.