3 hours ago

Sofia Ferreira Santos

X/Ali Yerlikaya

A video shared on social media by Turkey's interior minister appears to show several people being detained

More than 350 suspected Islamic State group (IS) members have been detained as part of nationwide police operations in Turkey.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 357 suspects were apprehended across 21 provinces in coordinated raids on Tuesday morning.

It comes just a day after three police officers and six alleged militants were killed during an eight hour siege in the northwestern town of Yalova. Another eight police officers and a security force member were injured.

Less than a week ago, authorities arrested another 115 suspects who prosecutors said had been planning attacks targeting non-Muslims during Christmas and New Year's.

In a post on X, Yerlikaya said Tuesday's operations took place across the country, including in Ankara, Istanbul and Yalova.

"Just as we have never given an opportunity to those who try to bring this country to its knees with terrorism, we will never give them an opportunity in the future either," he added.

The interior minister also shared a video appearing to show dozens of counter-terrorism officers taking part in the operations and detaining several people.

Raids on addresses in Istanbul and two other provinces - where 110 people were detained, according to the prosecutor's office - saw officers seize documents and digital materials, while pictures on local media also showed a number of weapons, including knifes and bullets.

A statement from the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office said intelligence had suggested the suspects might attempt an attack on New Year's Day.

It also noted 41 of those detained had suspected links to the clash in Yalova on Monday.

Interior minister Yerlikaya said another 16 individuals had been detained in Yalova for making "provocative posts" on social media.

The funerals of the three offices killed in Yalova - named as İlker Pehlivan, Turgut Külünk, and Yasin Koçyiğit - were held on Tuesday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered his condolences to their families, and said Turkey would continue its fight against "bloodthirsty criminals who threaten the peace of our nation and the security of our state".

Earlier this month, authorities carried out mass raids and arrested 115 people. Officials said IS supporters had been actively planning attacks across Turkey, particularly against non-Muslims on Christmas and New Year's Day.

Reuters

The siege on a house in Yalova lasted around eight hours, according to local media

Turkey's security services regularly target people with suspected links to IS.

The country shares a 900km (560 mile) border with Syria, where the group continues to operate in parts of the country.

Syria's president Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has close ties to the Turkish government, has vowed to work with the US and Europe to root out surviving elements of IS.

The US launched a wave of air strikes against the group's positions across Syria on Friday in response to the killing of three Americans.

Two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed by IS gunmen during an ambush earlier this month.