Turkey: Nine suspected terrorists arrested in Adana May 17

Event

Police arrested nine individuals, including two foreign nationals, with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) in the early hours of Thursday, May 17 (local time), in the city of Adana. The detained individuals are reportedly suspected of planning to carry out an attack during May 19's Youth Day celebrations.

Context

These arrests come after 54 foreigners with suspected links to IS were detained following counter-terrorism raids in Istanbul on May 15.

The general security situation in Turkey remains precarious due to the heightened risk of terrorism. The country has been a target of multiple attacks perpetrated by IS and the Kurdish PKK, which have prompted Turkish police to multiply its counter-terrorism raids. Moreover, a national state of emergency has been in place since July 2016 following a failed coup d'état launched by members of the armed forces.

Advice

Individuals in Adana, and Turkey more generally, are advised to maintain a high degree of vigilance, report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities, and be particularly cautious when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels, and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).