Istanbul anti-terror raid nets 16 alleged ISIS operatives

As many as sixteen people have been detained in Istanbul as part of a counter-terrorism operation targeting suspected members of ISIS.

The arrests were carried out by counter-terrorism units of the Istanbul Police Department following an investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

Authorities issued detention warrants for 23 individuals alleged to be "foreign terrorist fighters" operating within ISIS.

Police teams raided multiple locations across the city, taking 16 suspects into custody. Efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining seven individuals are ongoing.

Note that, as of April 2025, Türkiye has intensified its counterterrorism operations against ISIS, both domestically and regionally. On April 13, Turkish authorities detained 105 individuals suspected of ISIS affiliations across 23 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Gaziantep, targeting networks involved in recruitment, propaganda, and logistics.

Regionally, Türkiye is leading efforts to establish a joint operation center with Iraq, Jordan, and Syria to coordinate actions against ISIS. This initiative aims to reduce reliance on the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Türkiye considers affiliated with the PKK.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Türkiye has expressed readiness to assist Syria's new administration in managing ISIS detainee camps and prisons. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized support for Syria's stability and the importance of regional cooperation in combating terrorism.

Domestically, Türkiye continues to conduct extensive operations against ISIS cells. Since June 2023, over 1,400 anti-ISIS operations have been carried out, resulting in the detention of more than 3,000 suspects and the arrest of over 800 individuals. These operations have targeted recruitment networks, weapons training camps, and financial support channels for ISIS.

By Aghakazim Guliyev