ISLAMABAD: Turkish authorities arrested 357 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) group members in coordinated raids across 21 provinces Tuesday, Türkiye Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
"This morning, in 21 provinces, we apprehended 357 suspected ISIS members in simultaneous operations conducted by our police," Yerlikaya said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
The operations were conducted by the national police's counterterrorism and intelligence departments in coordination with prosecutors' offices, according to the statement. Raids took place in Adana, Ağrı, Ankara, Antalya, Bingöl, Çorum, Denizli, Erzincan, Gaziantep, Giresun, Istanbul, Kastamonu, Kilis, Konya, Muğla, Niğde, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Yalova and Van.
The announcement came a day after three police officers and six suspected militants were killed during an eight-hour standoff in the northwestern town of Yalova. Eight police officers and one security force member were wounded, local media reported.
Last week, Turkish authorities arrested 115 suspects accused of planning attacks targeting non-Muslims during Christmas and New Year's celebrations, local media reported.
Several detainees are suspected of collecting money under the guise of charity and funneling it to ISIS-linked networks in Syria, according to prosecutors, Al-Arabiya reported.
"Just as we have never given an opportunity to those who try to bring this country to its knees with terrorism, we will never give them an opportunity in the future either," Yerlikaya said.
The ISIS has carried out multiple deadly attacks in Turkey, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub on January 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
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