Turkey detains around 200 suspects over alleged IS links

Turkey has announced the detention of around 200 individuals suspected of belonging to the Islamic State organization in a series of operations across the country ahead of New Year celebrations.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on X that 189 suspects were apprehended in 37 cities, including 27 in Ankara and 22 in Istanbul.

In recent months, Turkey has intensified its operations against members of the Islamic State organization, which claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in Turkey. Among them was an attack on January 1, 2017, at a nightclub in Istanbul that resulted in the deaths of 39 people.

On Friday, Turkish authorities announced the detention of 32 individuals suspected of affiliation with the Islamic State, including three prominent members believed to be planning attacks, mainly targeting churches, Jewish places of worship, and the Iraqi embassy.

The Turkish police confirmed last week that they conducted extensive search operations in 32 cities, leading to the detention of over 300 individuals suspected of belonging to the Islamic State organization.

AFP