Turkish authorities have arrested nearly 200 people suspected of belonging to the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS), Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Saturday, December 30. The arrests took place before New Year’s celebrations, as part of a series of operations across the country.
In a post on X, Ali Yerlikaya said 189 suspects were arrested in 37 cities, including 27 in Ankara and 22 in Istanbul.
Turkey has in recent months intensified operations against members of IS, which has claimed several deadly attacks in Turkey, including one on 1er January 2017 in an Istanbul nightclub, which killed 39 people.
On Friday, the authorities had already announced the arrest of 32 suspected members of IS, including three important members of the group, suspected of planning attacks in particular against churches and synagogues, as well as against the Iraqi embassy.
Also, the police announced last week a vast search in 32 cities across the country and the arrest of more than 300 people for alleged links with ISIS.