Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Friday that 161 suspects were captured in a series of nationwide operations targeting the terrorist group Daesh over the last week.
In a statement shared on his social media account, Yerlikaya said simultaneous raids were carried out over the past week in 38 provinces, including Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, Eskişehir, Hatay and Izmir. He noted that those taken into custody were identified as individuals actively involved with Daesh or providing financial support to the group.
During the raids, security forces also seized numerous unlicensed weapons, organizational documents, and digital materials linked to the group.
Yerlikaya praised the coordinated efforts of prosecutors, the Counterterrorism Department of the General Directorate of Security, the Intelligence Directorate, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the police officers who participated in the operations.
He also emphasized the determination of the fight against terrorism: "Our operations will steadily continue to ensure peace and security for our nation."
Daesh remains the second biggest threat of terrorism for Türkiye, which faces security risks from multiple terrorist groups and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013.
Besides the nationwide operations against terrorist groups, authorities also conduct joint mechanisms such as the Counter-Daesh Coordination Cell by Türkiye, Syria, Jordan and Iraq, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed previously.
With security and counterterrorism at the forefront, Ankara views its cooperation with Damascus as central to ensuring a stable, sovereign and territorially unified Syria.
Terrorists from Daesh and other groups, such as the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, rely on a network of members and supporters in Türkiye.
Ankara has pledged to continue supporting Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity, providing training and technical support upon request from Damascus to strengthen its fight against terrorist groups.
