Turkey Detains Fresh Batch Of Islamic State Suspects, 375 Total, After Deadly Nationwide Clashes

Turkish security forces have detained hundreds of suspected Islamic State terrorists in sweeping nationwide operations following deadly clashes that left police officers and militants dead, authorities said Wednesday.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that police detained 357 suspects linked to the extremist group in coordinated raids across the country. The arrests followed an hours-long confrontation in the northwestern city of Yalova, where three police officers and six suspected Islamic State terrorists were killed during an eight-hour standoff.

In a post on X, Yerlikaya said the operations were carried out in coordination with chief public prosecutors’ offices, the national police counterterrorism department, intelligence units, and provincial police forces.

“This morning, in 21 provinces, we apprehended 357 suspected ISIS members in simultaneous operations conducted by our police,” he wrote.

“Just as we have never given opportunities to those trying to bring this homeland to its knees through terrorism up to this day, we will never give them opportunities in the future either!”

The confrontation in Yalova was part of a broader security operation launched Monday targeting more than 100 locations nationwide. The clash spilled into nearby streets, prompting authorities to close five schools in the area and shut off natural gas and electricity supplies as a precaution.

Officials said the latest operations followed intelligence indicating potential planned attacks during New Year celebrations. More than 100 suspected Islamic State members were detained last week in connection with those alleged plots.

Turkey has intensified its campaign against suspected Islamic State networks this year. The group was responsible for a wave of deadly attacks nearly a decade ago, including assaults on an Istanbul nightclub and the city’s main airport that killed dozens of people. Turkey had previously served as a key transit route for foreign fighters traveling to and from Syria, though attacks have significantly decreased since the violence peak between 2015 and 2017. Authorities have nonetheless continued regular operations against suspected cells.

The crackdown continued Wednesday, with Yerlikaya announcing additional arrests. According to a statement reported by AFP, security forces detained 125 more suspects in simultaneous raids across 25 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Yalova.

“We captured 125 Daesh suspects in simultaneous operations carried out in 25 provinces this morning,” Yerlikaya said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

He shared video footage showing security forces raiding homes and detaining suspects, some with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

“Those who seek to harm our brotherhood, our unity, our togetherness… will only face the might of our state and the unity of our nation,” he wrote.

The minister said the latest arrests bring the total number of suspects detained in recent days to well over 480, underscoring Ankara’s determination to dismantle Islamic State networks operating within Turkey.