Turkish law enforcement arrested 13 of the 23 IS suspects caught in nationwide operations, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported. He said the suspects, who were arrested in Izmir and western Manisa provinces, as well as southern Adana, were suspected of being involved within the Daesh terrorist association, including planning attacks by bringing weapons on behalf of the terrorist entity.
Meanwhile, security forces of the country “neutralized” 20 PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Syria some days ago, according to a statement from the National Defense Ministry of Turkey. A ministry statement stated that the operation was carried out against terrorists in Operation Euphrates Shield Turkish anti-terror zone and also in northern Syria.
“Our fight against terrorist organizations, wherever they may be, will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized,”
it further added.
The country has been struck by several major episodes claimed by IS, including a 2017 nightclub fire that killed dozens of people. Measures to strengthen security have been implemented across the nation following an episode by PKK terrorists in Ankara in late October, which slew five and wounded 22 others. Turkish authorities have powerfully targeted Daesh compartments with Gürz operations, imprisoning at least 943 suspects in 2024 alone.
Since the 2019 defeat of the self-proclaimed “caliphate,” some doubted Daesh members have recompensed in Türkiye, working a so-called Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) web, which examines new ways and recruits more foreign residents for its movements after ongoing counterterrorism procedures became a challenge, according to Turkish security sources. The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) intercepted the terrorist group’s steps for recruitment, getting funds and logistics backing after its latest function in the aftermath of a church assault in Istanbul back in January.
Turkish authorities stated that since June 2023, approximately 3,600 people with suspected links to the terrorist party have been captured. IS remains the second most significant threat of terrorism for Türkiye, which confronts security risks from numerous terrorist groups and was one of the first nations to declare it as a terrorist entity in 2013.
In December last year, Turkish authorities arrested 32 suspects over alleged ties with Daesh, who were plotting raids on churches and synagogues, as well as the Iraqi Embassy. Those from Daesh and other bodies, such as the PKK and its Syrian branch, the YPG, depend on a network of members and partners in Türkiye. Turkish authorities have called for the freezing of millions of lira worth of acquisitions since 2013 to crack down on terrorism operators in line with U.N. sanctions.
