ANKARA: Turkish authorities have conducted a series of operations across 13 provinces resulting in the detention of 72 persons suspected of having ties to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement on X on Thursday.
The operations, codenamed “GÜRZ-1,” were carried out jointly by Turkish police’s intelligence and counterterrorism units in major cities including Istanbul and Ankara, as well as other regions across the country.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to combat terrorism. Our objective remains clear: to neutralize terrorists without relent,” Minister Yerlikaya said in a statement.
During the operations, authorities seized a significant amount of foreign and Turkish currency, along with various digital materials, Yerlikaya disclosed.
Turkish authorities have intensified efforts in recent years to apprehend individuals with suspected ISIL affiliations. In a notable operation in July 2023, 12 members of ISIL-K were detained in Istanbul’s Başakşehir district.
Since ISIL was declared a terrorist organization in 2013, the group has been responsible for numerous attacks in Turkey, claiming hundreds of lives. Notable incidents include the 2017 nightclub massacre in Istanbul and multiple bombings resulting in the deaths of 315 people and injuries to many others.
Globally, ISIL remains a potent threat. Recently, the group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March, resulting in 137 fatalities. The suspects apprehended by Russian authorities were Tajik citizens, suggesting potential ties to ISIL-K.
