Turkish law enforcement agencies conducted a large-scale operation in Istanbul, resulting in the arrest of 115 people suspected of involvement in the Islamic State terrorist group. According to the Istanbul prosecutor’s office, those detained were allegedly planning terrorist attacks during the Christmas and New Year holidays, primarily targeting non-Muslims.
The operation took place simultaneously at 124 addresses in the province of Istanbul. During the raids, pistols, ammunition, and numerous ISIS organizational documents were seized. Arrest warrants were issued for 137 suspects, of whom 115 have already been detained. The search for the remaining 22 individuals continues.
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said intelligence indicated that ISIS was planning attacks in Turkey during the upcoming holidays. Some of the suspects had ties to conflict zones, and some were already wanted nationally and internationally on terrorism charges.
This operation was one of the largest at the end of 2025 to combat the remnants of ISIS in Turkey. Earlier in December, Turkish authorities conducted similar raids, detaining hundreds of suspects with ties to the group.