Turkish security forces arrested 357 individuals on Tuesday in a sweeping counterterrorism operation targeting the Islamic State (ISIS) network across the country, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced, AFP reported.
"During simultaneous operations carried out this morning by our police forces in 21 provinces, we apprehended 357 suspects linked to ISIS," Yerlikaya said on social media, adding, "We have never given the slightest chance to those who try to bring this country to its knees through terrorism."
The large-scale operation came a day after three police officers were killed during a clash with ISIS terrorists in the northwestern province of Yalova. The confrontation, which reportedly lasted several hours, left six ISIS members dead - all of them Turkish nationals.
Authorities had intensified their efforts against the group following last week’s announcement by the Istanbul prosecutor, who ordered the arrest of 137 suspected ISIS members. The move came after intelligence indicated the terrorist organization was planning attacks during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
On the weekend, Turkish security forces arrested three suspected ISIS members in the eastern province of Malatya.
The Malatya operations followed a large-scale counterterrorism sweep in Istanbul, during which Turkish police detained 115 suspected ISIS members.
Turkey, which has been attacked by ISIS several times, regularly detains suspected members of the group, including many who planned attacks in the country.
In December of 2023, Turkish authorities detained 29 people suspected of having ties to ISIS and who planned to attack local synagogues.
In February of that year, the Turkish intelligence agency busted a network of 15 ISIS operatives, who allegedly planned to carry out terrorist attacks against the embassies of Sweden and the Netherlands in Istanbul.
Turkey officially designated the Islamic State as a terrorist organization in 2013.