Turkish authorities have arrested 90 individuals suspected of having links to the so-called Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in a nationwide counterterrorism operation spanning 24 provinces, officials said.
According to Turkish officials, the arrests were made as part of a broader security crackdown targeting alleged members of the group, individuals accused of financing its activities, and suspects involved in spreading propaganda.
The operation comes nearly two weeks after a deadly shootout outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on April 7, during which two police officers were wounded. However, authorities have not officially confirmed any direct connection between the latest arrests and the attack.
According to news reports, Turkish security forces had already detained 198 people in a nationwide sweep carried out a day after the April 7 incident as part of operations against what officials referred to as “the terrorist organization Daesh,” using the Arabic acronym for the group.
Turkey has faced repeated threats from IS in recent years, with the group previously claiming or being blamed for multiple attacks across the country.
Among the deadliest was the 2015 suicide bombing at a peace rally in Ankara, where 103 people were killed. Reports later suggested that police had received prior warnings about the threat, though adequate preventive measures were allegedly not taken. Legal proceedings related to the attack are still ongoing.
Turkish authorities say counterterror operations against extremist groups will continue as part of efforts to prevent future attacks and dismantle terrorist networks.
