Turkish authorities have detained 201 suspected members of the Islamic State extremist group over the past 48 hours accused of planning attacks on New Year’s Eve celebrations.
State-run Anadolu news agency reported that the police carried simultaneous raids in 14 separate provinces, netting 124 suspects with alleged ties to the Sunni extremist group on Thursday and another 77 on Friday.
According to the news agency, the suspects included foreign nationals.
Police seized documents and digital material that revealed plans for separate attacks on New Year’s Eve.
The raids came nearly a year after an Islamic State gunman attacked the Reina nightclub in Istanbul as revellers were celebrating New Year’s Eve, killing 39 people.
The Reina shooting preceded a wave of smaller attacks by Islamic State and hardliner Kurdish nationalists in Turkey in 2015 and 2016.
The news agency reported on Wednesday, security forces in Istanbul cited security concerns in issuing a ban on New Year’s Eve celebrations in three central districts, including the iconic Taksim Square.
Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, set aside Jan. 1 as a public holiday.
Trees and ornaments appear in public displays to mark the occasion, but Islamists have pushed back against them as symbols of Christmas. (dpa/NAN)
