Turkish authorities just stopped what could have been a nightmare scenario during the holidays. They have detained over 100 people suspected of being part of the Islamic State group who were allegedly planning attacks on Christmas and New Year’s events.
Police carried out massive raids at 124 addresses across Istanbul, according to the city’s chief prosecutor. They seized firearms, ammunition, and what officials are calling “organisational documents.” The whole operation was targeting people actively planning attacks this week, particularly aimed at non-Muslims.
Out of the raids, 115 suspects are now in custody, but authorities are still hunting for another 22 people. The prosecutor’s office said these suspects had been in contact with IS operatives outside Turkey, which suggests this was more than just some isolated local plot.
This announcement came just two days after Turkish intelligence agents carried out a separate raid on the Afghanistan Pakistan border. They grabbed a Turkish national who allegedly held a senior position with the IS wing operating in that region. That person is now accused of planning attacks against civilians.
Turkey’s security services regularly go after anyone with suspected links to IS, and there’s a good reason for that. The country shares a 900 kilometer border with Syria, where IS still operates in certain parts of the country. That proximity makes Turkey a constant target and a potential staging ground for the group’s activities.
Syria’s president Ahmed al Sharaa, who has close ties to the Turkish government, has promised to work with the US and Europe to wipe out whatever’s left of IS. The timing matters because the US just launched a wave of air strikes against IS positions across Syria on Friday. That was in response to the killing of three Americans earlier this month. Two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed by IS gunmen during an ambush.
The fact that Turkish authorities managed to disrupt these planned attacks before anything happened is significant. Holiday gatherings make soft targets, and the suspects were apparently focused on hitting events where non-Muslims would be celebrating. The seized weapons and documents suggest this wasn’t just talk either. These people had the means and were actively working toward carrying something out.
Turkey’s position makes it a critical player in the fight against IS. The group might have lost its territorial caliphate years ago, but it clearly hasn’t given up on trying to launch attacks. The coordination between suspects in Turkey and IS operatives abroad shows the group is still trying to maintain its network and operational capabilities.
The ongoing search for the remaining 22 suspects means this story isn’t over yet. Turkish authorities are still working to round up everyone involved in the plot, which suggests they’ve got solid intelligence on who they’re looking for and where these people might be hiding.
