Turkey Detains 99 Suspected Islamic State Members in Nationwide Raids

Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Friday that 99 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group were arrested in recent nationwide raids.

The detentions were carried out primarily in Ankara, Izmir, and various locations in central, eastern, and southern Turkey, Yerlikaya posted on X. The operation, referred to as GURZ-4, took place over the past three days.

“We will not tolerate any terrorist,” Yerlikaya stated, emphasizing Turkey’s stance against extremism.

This recent operation follows a similar crackdown in March, where 147 individuals were apprehended. Since then, Turkish authorities have detained a total of 2,919 people suspected of having connections to IS.

Yerlikaya also highlighted that two of the attackers responsible for the massacre of 145 people at Crocus City Hall in Moscow last March had spent several weeks in Turkey before traveling to Russia. The attack was claimed by IS, underlining the ongoing concerns about cross-border terrorism links.