Turkey: Police detain 11 IS-linked individuals on September 27

Event

On Thursday, September 27, Turkish police announced that they had arrested 11 people suspected of having links to the Islamic State (IS) group in the central provinces of Eskişehir and Kırşehir. Additional counterterror raids on suspected IS-linked persons area possible in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey in the near-term.

Context

The general security situation in Turkey remains precarious due to an extant heightened risk of terrorism. The country has been a target of multiple attacks perpetrated by IS and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which have prompted Turkish police to carry out an increasing number of counterterrorism raids in recent months.

Advice

Individuals in Turkey 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 especially 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.).