Turkey arrests 357 suspects in major crackdown on ISIS

TURKEY: A total of 357 suspects have been arrested in a nationwide operation against the Islamic State group in Turkey.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the operations were carried out simultaneously in 21 provinces, involving police counter-terrorism units, intelligence agencies and prosecutors.

The interior minister said the recent operations followed a major clash in the northwestern city of Yalova, where three police officers and six suspected militants were killed during an eight-hour siege. Security was tightened across the country after the clash.

Authorities said the clash in Yalova was part of a wider operation that included raids at more than 100 locations. Schools in the area were closed due to security concerns, while gas and electricity supplies were temporarily suspended.

Turkish authorities also said that more than 100 suspects were detained last week on suspicion of planning possible terrorist attacks during Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Turkey has stepped up its crackdown on ISIS in recent years. The country has been a key transit point for foreign fighters heading to Syria, and ISIS carried out several deadly attacks in Turkey between 2015 and 2017, killing dozens.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the state was pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and would not allow any extremist group to undermine the country’s peace in the future.