As Türkiye mourns three police officers killed by Daesh, authorities launched fresh raids on the terrorist group on Tuesday. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that simultaneous raids carried out in 21 provinces netted 357 suspects.
In Istanbul, security forces detained 110 suspects, while another operation was underway in the capital, Ankara, to capture 17 suspects.
In the early hours of Monday, police attempted to storm a house in a rural neighborhood of Yalova in northwestern Türkiye, where suspected Daesh members were residing. What ensued was a shootout between terrorists and police that lasted for hours. Three police officers were shot dead by suspects, and six Daesh terrorists were killed. The operation was a routine one as authorities were already conducting raids against Daesh across the country as a security measure ahead of New Year's events. Daesh is known for frequently targeting New Year's and Christmas events.
Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that Tuesday’s operations targeted 110 suspects, including 41 who were linked to terrorists killed in Yalova. The statement said the detentions were part of an investigation focused on M.Y., a senior Daesh figure who served as a “preacher” of the group and sought to recruit members.
The investigation also focused on 32 suspects who were under surveillance for a while and found out collecting donations from Daesh sympathizers, to build “madrassas” to disseminate Daesh ideology and to funnel cash to Daesh members held captive in Syria. Prosecutors said suspects were active on social media to spread Daesh propaganda.
The statement said 41 suspects were linked to people behind the “heinous attack” in Yalova, and authorities had information that they were planning similar attacks on New Year’s Eve. Prosecutors noted that 13 among 110 suspects had liaisons with the terrorist group, 14 have engaged in social media propaganda for Daesh, and 15 suspects were so-called “foreign fighters” of Daesh.
In Ankara, the chief prosecutor’s office ordered the detention of 17 suspects, and operations were underway to capture them. The Office said the suspects included 11 foreign nationals, and they were also in contact with Daesh members abroad.
Türkiye has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate Daesh. The government frequently highlights that the country was the only one that engaged in direct targeting of Daesh and notes success. Military operations in Syria by the Turkish army during the Syrian civil war helped clear Syria’s northern regions from Daesh occupation and led to neutralization of thousands of Daesh members, according to the security sources quoted by the Sabah newspaper on Monday.
Türkiye was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013. In December last year, Turkish security forces detained 32 suspects over alleged links with Daesh who were planning attacks on churches and synagogues, as well as the Iraqi Embassy. 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 and abroad.
Türkiye has stepped up operations against suspected Daesh members this year, as the group returns to prominence globally. The U.S. carried out a strike against the Daesh members in northwest Nigeria last week, while two gunmen who attacked a Hanukkah event at Sydney's Bondi Beach this month appeared to be inspired by Daesh, Australian police have said. On Dec. 19, the U.S. military launched strikes against dozens of Daesh targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on American personnel.
Almost a decade ago, the terrorist group was blamed for a series of attacks on civilian targets in Türkiye, including gun attacks on an Istanbul nightclub and the city's main airport, killing dozens of people. Police have carried out regular operations against the group in subsequent years , and there have been few attacks since the wave of violence between 2015 and 2017.
On Tuesday, colleagues and families of Turgut Külünk, Yasin Koçyiğit and Ilker Pehlivan gathered in Yalova for a funeral ceremony for the police officers who were killed by Daesh. Hundreds carried the coffins of martyrs draped in Turkish flags.
Speaking there, Yerlikaya said they would stop those trying to submerge Türkiye in terrorism. “We will continue our fight with determined steps,” he said.
“Pehlivan, Külünk and Koçyiğit are heroes who never hesitated in their fight against terrorism and marched to martyrdom in a dark night, for the safety of this nation. They were patriots. They are now members of the home of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our flag. They live in the hearts of the nation,” he said.
Yerlikaya highlighted that the heroes stood against treacherous terrorists who shielded themselves with women and children. A video recording of the clash shows police officers urging the terrorists to release women and children in the raided house, and the terrorists responding that they would not.
“Our martyrs are noble people not only due to their courage but also for their conscience, for valuing the dignity of people,” Yerlikaya said at the ceremony.
“We won’t be complacent in this fight and carry out the duty. Those attacking our unity, those abusing our faith and values will eventually face the power of our state,” Yerlikaya added.
