Turkey continues its fight against the Islamic State (IS) group. Turkish authorities have arrested nearly 200 people suspected of belonging to IS in a series of operations across the country ahead of New Year's celebrations, the interior minister said on Saturday (December 30th).
In a post on X, Ali Yerlikaya said that 189 suspects had been arrested in 37 cities across the country, including 27 in Ankara and 22 in Istanbul.
3️7️⃣ ⃣ İlde DEAŞ Terör Örgütüne yönelik eş zamanlı olarak düzenlenen "KAHRAMANLAR-38" Operasyonlarında 1️⃣ ⃣8️⃣9️şahıs yakalandı
❗ Aziz Milletimizin Bilmesini isterim ki;
Ülkemizin huzuru, birlik ve beraberliği için teröristlerin hiçbirine göz açtırmayacağız. Milletimizin duası,... pic.twitter.com/4hsQsI7zfc
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) December 30, 2023
Turkey has stepped up operations against IS in recent months, which has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly attacks in Turkey, including one on January 1, 2017, at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.
On Friday, authorities had already announced the arrest of 32 suspected IS members, including three senior members of the group, on suspicion of plotting attacks on churches and synagogues, as well as the Iraqi embassy.
Police last week announced a sweep in 32 cities across the country and the arrest of more than 300 people for alleged links to IS.
With AFP
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