Turkiye arrests 125 ISIL suspects in new raids that mark widening crackdown

In response to the group’s apparent signs of increased regional activity after a period of relative dormancy, Turkiye’s government claims to have detained more than 100 ISIL (ISIS) suspects in nationwide raids.

In a social media post, Turkish authorities claimed to have arrested 125 suspects from 25 provinces, including Ankara, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Following a deadly shootout on Tuesday between Turkish police and suspected ISIL members in the northwestern city of Yalova, the operation is the third of its kind in less than a week during the holiday season.

The strength of our state and the unity of our nation will be the only enemies of those who seek to harm our brotherhood, unity, and togetherness, yelled Yerlikaya.

Three Turkish police and six suspected ISIL members, all of whom are Turks, were killed in the clash on Tuesday. In a coordinated crackdown, Turkish security forces made 357 suspected ISIL members.

‘Intensifying’ anti-ISIL operations

Sinem Koseoglu, a journalist from Istanbul earlier this week, reported that Turkish forces have “intensified their operations” against ISIL sleeper cells during the country’s holiday season. The group has previously carried out attacks there.

ISIL attacked an Istanbul nightclub during New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2017, killing 39 people as the group still held large swaths of neighboring Syria and Iraq before being defeated on the battlefield. Turkish police reported that the prosecutor’s office had learned that operatives were “planning attacks against non-Muslims in particular” this holiday season.

ISIL is still active in Syria, where it shares a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Turkiye, in addition to maintaining sleeper cells there, and has launched numerous attacks there since last year when former president Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

According to the US Central Command, the military has carried out extensive strikes against ISIL in central and northeastern Syria this month, killing or capturing about 25 of its fighters.