Turkish authorities announced on Monday the arrest of 90 individuals with suspected ties to the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, two weeks after a gun attack outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul left two police officers wounded.
The interior ministry said the arrests took place across 24 of Turkey's 81 provinces as part of a broader operation against what it called the terrorist organisation Daesh, the Arabic acronym for IS. In total, 198 people were detained a day after the 7 April incident, with the 90 suspects now formally arrested including alleged members of the group, individuals involved in its financing, and those suspected of disseminating propaganda.
No Official Link to Consulate Shooting
Authorities have not officially connected the arrests to the shootout outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul. In that attack, three gunmen opened fire; one was killed by police, while the other two remain at large. The interior ministry described the killed assailant as linked to a terrorist organisation that instrumentalises religion, without explicitly naming IS.
The operation underscores Turkey's ongoing struggle with militant groups operating within its borders. IS has carried out several high-profile attacks in the country over the past decade, including the 2015 Ankara peace rally bombing that killed 103 people and the 2017 New Year's Eve nightclub shooting in Istanbul that left 39 dead. Trials related to the Ankara attack are still ongoing, with revelations that police had been warned beforehand but failed to take adequate precautions.
More recently, in late December, three Turkish police officers were killed during an anti-IS operation in the northwestern province of Yalova. The latest arrests come as Turkey continues to balance domestic security concerns with its role as a regional power, hosting diplomatic talks such as the recent Antalya summit on alternative trade routes amid the Hormuz crisis.
The European Union has closely monitored Turkey's counterterrorism efforts, particularly given the bloc's own concerns about IS-linked cells operating across member states. While Turkey has been a key partner in intelligence sharing, human rights groups have criticised the government's broad use of anti-terror laws to detain political opponents. The current operation, however, appears focused on individuals with direct links to the militant group.
The 7 April attack near the Israeli consulate also raised questions about security for diplomatic missions in Istanbul, a city that hosts numerous consulates and international organisations. The wounded police officers are reported to be in stable condition.
