Turkey Arrests 125 ISIL Suspects in Nationwide Raids

Coordinated Raids Across Turkey

The Turkish government has announced the arrest of over 100 ISIL (ISIS) suspects following national-level raids, as the group shows signs of intensified regional activity after a period of relative inactivity. Turkey's Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, revealed the arrests on social media Wednesday morning, stating that Turkish authorities detained 125 suspects across 25 provinces, including Ankara.

Major Operations During Holiday Season

This operation marks the third of its kind in less than a week during the holiday season and comes after a deadly shootout in the city of Yalova between Turkish police and ISIL suspects. “Those who seek to disrupt our fraternity and unity will only face the power of our state and the unity of our nation,” wrote Yerlikaya. In the confrontation on Tuesday, three Turkish police officers and six ISIL suspects, all Turkish citizens, were killed.

Increased Security Force Activity

According to Al Jazeera reporter Sinem Koseoglu, Turkish forces have “intensified operations” against dormant ISIL cells during the holidays, a period when the group has previously carried out attacks in the country. In 2017, ISIL attacked a nightclub in Istanbul during the New Year celebrations, killing 39 people. The Istanbul prosecutor’s office stated that Turkish police received information that operatives were “planning attacks in Turkey, particularly against non-Muslims” during this holiday season.

ISIL Activities in Syria

In addition to maintaining dormant cells in Turkey, ISIL remains active in Syria, a country that shares a 900-kilometer border with Turkey. The group has conducted a series of attacks there since the removal of former President Bashar al-Assad last year. The United States Army has conducted extensive strikes against ISIL in central and northeastern Syria this month, killing or capturing approximately 25 fighters from the group in the last two weeks, according to U.S. Central Command.