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Turkey Detains Over 100 Suspected ISIL Members Amid Rising Threats
Turkey arrests 125 suspected ISIL members in nationwide raids following deadly shootout, as authorities warn of holiday-period terror threats.
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by Muhammad Hashir
2025-12-31
Turkey Detains Over 100 Suspected ISIL Members Amid Rising Threats

Turkish authorities have detained more than 100 suspected ISIL (ISIS) operatives in a series of nationwide raids, signaling intensified efforts to counter the extremist group after a period of relative dormancy.

Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Wednesday that security forces arrested 125 suspects across 25 provinces, including the capital, Ankara. The operation comes amid heightened security following a deadly clash on Tuesday in the northwestern city of Yalova between Turkish police and suspected ISIL members, which left three officers and six ISIL suspects dead—all Turkish nationals.

“The arrests are part of our continued effort to protect our nation. 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,” Yerlikaya said on social media.

Tuesday’s clash triggered further security measures, leading to the arrest of 357 additional suspected ISIL operatives in a coordinated crackdown across the country. Officials have stressed that the group maintains sleeper cells in Turkey and warned of potential holiday-period attacks, recalling the 2017 Istanbul nightclub attack during New Year celebrations that killed 39 people.

The Istanbul prosecutor’s office indicated that authorities received intelligence suggesting ISIL operatives were “planning attacks in Turkey against non-Muslims in particular” this holiday season. Turkish security forces have said that these intensified operations are aimed at preempting any such threats.

ISIL remains active across the region, particularly in Syria, with which Turkey shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border. Following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last year, the group has carried out multiple attacks in Syria. The U.S. military has also conducted operations against ISIL in central and northeastern Syria, killing or capturing about 25 fighters over the past two weeks, following the killing of two American soldiers and an interpreter in Palmyra by an ISIL gunman.

Turkey’s crackdown underscores the ongoing challenge posed by ISIL and the heightened vigilance required during periods of public gatherings and holidays.
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Turkey

isis

CounterTerrorism

ISIL
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