Turkey Detains 115 in Holiday Raids Over Suspected ISIS Attack Plans

Overview

• Istanbul prosecutors ordered 137 arrests, with 115 suspects taken into custody on December 25 in an intelligence-led operation.
• Police carried out simultaneous searches at 124 addresses in Istanbul, seizing firearms, ammunition and what officials described as organizational documents.
• Prosecutors said the detainees maintained contact with Islamic State members outside Turkey, indicating cross-border links.
• Twenty-two suspects remain wanted as investigations continue into alleged plans to target Christmas and New Year events.
• Separately, Turkish intelligence recently detained Mehmet Gören between Afghanistan and Pakistan, accusing him of planning suicide attacks in the region and in Europe.