Ankara detains 15 for Daesh links but finds no concrete threats
Turkish police officers stand guard in front of the Dutch Consulate. which was closed due to security concerns in central Istanbul, Türkiye, Feb. 1, 2023. (Reuters Photo)


Police in Istanbul arrested 15 Daesh suspects on Saturday who allegedly received instructions to attack some consulates and places of worship for Jews and Christians.

Istanbul Police Department's counterterrorism branch teams have been working on deciphering the activities of the Daesh terrorist organization and apprehending possible suspects.

The arrests came after the so-called Khorasan Province (ISKP) leadership of the terrorist organization Daesh allegedly ordered acts against the Swedish and Dutch Consulates in Istanbul and places of worship belonging to Christian and Jewish citizens following the recent burning of Islam's holy book, the Quran, the Istanbul police department said in a statement.

The police said it was determined that the suspects had a connection with the terrorist group and conflict zones but "concrete threats" against foreign missions and places of worship "could not be detected."

Sweden and the Netherlands have been the subject of angry protests in Türkiye and worldwide after the Quran burnings.

The arrests come after a group of Western countries temporarily closed their consulates in Istanbul, citing security concerns.