In a major nationwide crackdown, Turkish security forces detained 357 suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in coordinated raids across 21 provinces on Tuesday. This sweeping operation follows a deadly eight-hour clash with militants a day earlier and is part of heightened security measures to thwart terrorist attacks planned for the New Year period.
The raids were a direct response to a violent confrontation on Monday in the northwestern town of Yalova. There, security forces raiding a house were met with gunfire from suspected ISIS members, triggering an extended street battle. The clash resulted in the deaths of three police officers and six militants, with nine other officers wounded. The funerals for the slain officers were held on Tuesday.
Turkish authorities have significantly intensified counter-terrorism operations in recent weeks due to intelligence indicating active ISIS plots. Just days before the nationwide sweep, Istanbul police detained 115 suspects alleged to have been planning attacks targeting non-Muslims during Christmas and New Year's celebrations. Furthermore, on December 23, authorities in Ankara detained 10 individuals accused of financing ISIS operations.
The threat ISIS poses to Turkey is tragically familiar. The group was responsible for a series of devastating attacks in the mid-2010s, including the January 1, 2017, assault on Istanbul's Reina nightclub that killed 39 people during New Year's celebrations. A broader wave of violence between 2015 and 2017, involving ISIS, the PKK, and affiliated groups, resulted in nearly 500 deaths. More recently, ISIS claimed responsibility for a shooting at Istanbul's Santa Maria Church in January 2024.
In announcing the arrests, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that Turkey would never yield to terrorism. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered condolences to the families of the fallen officers and pledged to continue the fight against "bloodthirsty criminals".