In a major crackdown on terrorist activity, the Turkish government has arrested 99 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group over the past three days, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
The arrests were carried out in various regions across the country, with the majority taking place in the capital Ankara and the western city of Izmir. Additional detentions were also reported in central, eastern, and southern parts of Turkey.
“We will not tolerate any terrorists,” Yerlikaya declared in a post on the social media platform X.
This latest roundup of suspected IS affiliates comes after a previous operation in March, during which Turkish authorities detained 147 individuals believed to have links to the jihadist organization. Yerlikaya stated that the cumulative number of people arrested for suspected IS ties has now reached 2,919.
The arrests underscore Turkey’s ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks within its borders. This heightened security focus follows revelations that two of the perpetrators responsible for the Crocus City Hall massacre in Moscow last March, which was claimed by IS, had spent time in Turkey before traveling to Russia to carry out the attack.
As the Turkish government continues its crackdown on suspected IS members, the public can expect further updates from the Interior Ministry on the progress of these counterterrorism operations.
