Turkish authorities have announced the arrest of 90 individuals suspected of links to the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), as part of a large-scale nationwide counterterrorism operation spanning 24 provinces.
The operation comes two weeks after a violent incident outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on 7 April, during which two police officers were injured in a shootout involving armed assailants. While authorities have not officially linked the arrests to that incident, the timing has intensified scrutiny of ongoing security operations across the country.
According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, a total of 198 individuals were initially detained in coordinated raids conducted the day after the consulate attack. The ministry confirmed that 90 of those arrested in the latest phase are suspected of involvement with ISIS-related activities, including alleged membership, financing, and dissemination of extremist propaganda.
Officials stated that the detainees were identified through intelligence-led investigations targeting what they described as operational, logistical, and financial networks connected to extremist activity.
Authorities have not formally confirmed any direct connection between the recent arrests and the 7 April shootout outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul. During that incident, armed assailants engaged police forces, resulting in injuries to two officers. One of the attackers was killed at the scene.
Turkish officials indicated that one of the assailants had links to a “terrorist organization that instrumentalizes religion,” though the group was not explicitly named in official statements.
The operation is part of Turkey’s broader counterterrorism campaign against ISIS, which has previously carried out high-casualty attacks inside the country.
In 2015, suicide bombings targeting a peace rally in Ankara killed 103 people in one of the deadliest attacks in modern Turkish history. Authorities later acknowledged that intelligence warnings had been received prior to the attack, raising questions about preventive security measures. Legal proceedings related to the case remain ongoing.
In another major incident on New Year’s Eve 2017, an armed attack on a nightclub in Istanbul resulted in 39 fatalities, further underscoring the group’s past operational reach within Turkey.
More recently, in December, three Turkish police officers were killed during an anti-ISIS operation in the northwestern province of Yalova. Six suspects, all Turkish nationals, were also killed during the exchange of fire, according to security officials.
Turkish authorities have intensified nationwide counterterrorism efforts aimed at dismantling suspected ISIS networks, focusing on recruitment, financing, and propaganda channels. Officials say these operations are part of a sustained strategy to prevent the resurgence of extremist activity within the country.
Security agencies continue to conduct investigations into possible sleeper cells and support networks operating across multiple provinces.
While investigations remain ongoing, the recent arrests reflect Turkey’s continued emphasis on counterterrorism enforcement and internal security stabilization. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to preventing extremist violence and disrupting networks suspected of planning or facilitating attacks.
