Turkish authorities have successfully disrupted a series of planned attacks by the Daesh (Islamic State) terrorist organization targeting Christmas and New Year's celebrations across the country. In a major nationwide operation, police detained 115 suspected members of the group in Istanbul following simultaneous raids at 124 addresses. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that warrants were issued for 137 individuals and that the operation is still ongoing to locate the remaining suspects. During the raids, security forces seized firearms, ammunition, and organizational documents.
The operation reflects the cross-border nature of the terrorist threat. Prosecutors indicated that the detained suspects were in contact with Daesh operatives located outside of Türkiye. This domestic crackdown was swiftly followed by a separate, high-profile intelligence operation abroad. Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) captured a senior Daesh member, Turkish national Mehmet Goren, in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. Goren, is accused of rising to an administrative role within the terrorist group and allegedly agreed to carry out suicide attacks targeting civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Europe. He has since been transferred to Türkiye.
This week's operations occur against a backdrop of heightened regional terrorist activity and sustained pressure from Turkish security forces. The urgency of the actions was informed by intelligence indicating Daesh had issued a specific call for attacks against non-Muslims during the holiday period. The group remains active in neighboring Syria, with which Türkiye shares a 900-kilometer border. A recent attack in Palmyra, Syria, claimed by a Daesh gunman, resulted in the deaths of two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian, prompting condemnation from the international community and further U.S. airstrikes.
These high-profile arrests are part of a broader, year-long counterterrorism campaign. Türkiye's Interior Minister recently announced that security forces have thwarted seven terrorist attacks within the country in the first eleven months of 2025. Efforts also extend to dismantling the group's financial networks; just days before the Istanbul raids, prosecutors in Ankara detained 10 suspects accused of financing Daesh through bank transfers disguised as charitable donations. Turkish officials have consistently advocated for regional cooperation, urging the new administration in Syria to assume control of camps holding Daesh detainees as a step toward lasting stability.