Turkey detains dozens of ISIS suspects in raids tied to Syria-based network
A nationwide sweep targeted the group's financial and propaganda networks as Ankara steps up efforts to counter the jihadi extremist group in Syria.
ANKARA — Turkish authorities detained 39 suspected Islamic State members in nationwide raids targeting the group’s alleged financial networks, officials announced Monday, as Ankara ramps up efforts to clamp down on the jihadi group’s remnants in Syria.
The suspects were rounded up in raids conducted across 18 provinces over the past two weeks, including in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X.
“It was established that the suspects were members of the ISIS terrorist organization, provided financial support to so-called aid organizations affiliated with the group and carried out terrorist propaganda via their social media accounts,” Yerlikaya said.
Authorities seized a large number of organizational documents and digital materials during the raids, Yerlikaya added. He did not specify whether the suspects were Turkish nationals or foreign citizens.
The three suspects who were detained in Istanbul as part of the operation allegedly provided assistance to ISIS members both in conflict zones in Syria and within Turkey, collected funds to prevent defections and facilitated the conversion of cryptocurrency sent to the group from abroad, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office also issued arrest warrants for another five, two of whom are abroad and three currently at large, Anadolu said.
Why it matters: The operation comes as Ankara steps up efforts against ISIS as part of its broader campaign to consolidate the new Syrian government’s grip on power.
Turkey, Jordan and Syria established a joint operation center in Damascus in May to coordinate efforts against the extremist group. The move came after US President Donald Trump urged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to increase cooperation against ISIS during their meeting in Riyadh on May 14.
Although ISIS lost territorial control in 2019, it still has an estimated 7,000 members in Syria and Iraq. Around half are believed to be active fighters, according to 2024 European Union data.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces remain the major force against ISIS in Syria and is the Pentagon’s top ally in the fight against the group.
Know more: Ankara’s intensified efforts are also aimed at cutting off the alliance between Washington and the SDF, as Turkey deems the Kurdish-led group a top national security threat.
The SDF’s backbone, the People’s Defense Units, is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been waging an armed campaign against Turkish forces for Kurdish self-rule in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, Washington and the European Union.
The United States has already begun withdrawing its roughly 2,000 troops from Syria in line with the Trump administration’s pledge to reduce foreign military entanglements.
