Turkey Launches Major Counter‑Terror Operation, Arresting 110 Suspects Over ISIS Ties

Turkey Launches Major Counter‑Terror Operation, Arresting 110 Suspects Over ISIS Ties
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Turkish security forces have detained 110 individuals suspected of links to the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in a coordinated counter‑terrorism operation spanning multiple provinces, including Istanbul, authorities and local media report.

The arrests, carried out by counter‑terrorism police and intelligence units, uncovered networks allegedly involved in illegal ideological training, recruitment efforts, and fundraising for ISIS members, particularly within informal associations. During the raids, law enforcement seized four rifles, 90 rounds of ammunition, documents, and digital materials believed connected to extremist activities.

According to prosecutors in Istanbul, the suspects are accused of organising unauthorized classes that spread ISIS ideology, including training minors, collecting funds for detained group members, and attempting to recruit new adherents. The investigation is ongoing and coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The operation follows a larger nationwide crackdown on ISIS networks. Last week, Turkish authorities announced the detention of 324 suspected ISIL affiliates across 47 provinces, including financiers and suspected propaganda facilitators, as part of intensified efforts to dismantle residual extremist infrastructure.

Türkiye has a history of confronting ISIS‑linked threats, with security forces conducting regular raids amid periodic violent incidents. In recent months, attacks attributed or linked to extremist actors have included a shootout outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul in April, in which police returned fire, and earlier clashes in northwest Turkey resulting in casualties.