Turkish police detained 26 suspects during a coordinated operation in Istanbul and Adana targeting the Daesh terrorist group’s network and members of a designated sleeper cell, authorities announced on Wednesday.
According to the Istanbul Police Department’s counterterrorism unit, 14 suspects were allegedly involved in procuring explosives for planned attacks and maintaining contacts with operatives in conflict zones.
The raids were carried out simultaneously at several locations across the city, where officers seized large amounts of digital material, an unlicensed handgun and 90 rounds of ammunition.
Meanwhile, in the southern province of Adana, Turkish police also detained 12 suspects, including six foreign nationals, in a pre-dawn operation targeting a “sleeper cell” of the Daesh terrorist group, authorities said Thursday.
According to the provincial counterterrorism unit, investigators had identified the suspects after a detainee in a previous operation confirmed their photographs and code names. Following four months of technical and physical surveillance, police determined the group was operating as a Daesh sleeper cell.
Special operations teams raided multiple homes simultaneously, breaking down doors and detaining all 12 suspects. Officers seized organizational documents and numerous digital devices during searches.
The detainees were taken to police headquarters for questioning as the investigation continues.
Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace, as the group faces nationwide raids continually.
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.
The operations reflect Türkiye’s continued efforts to dismantle Daesh’s support networks within its borders and eliminate the group’s global financial mechanisms. Turkish security forces have carried out hundreds of operations in recent years, detaining thousands of suspects.
Recently, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that 1,526 terror-linked suspects have been arrested since Jan. 1 as part of investigations aimed at uncovering the members and activities of various terrorist groups operating in Istanbul.
