Turkey: Security forces arrest 12 suspected militants in Istanbul Nov. 24

Event

Turkish police forces arrested 12 suspected Kurdish militants in a security operation in Istanbul on Saturday, November 24. According to security officials, the suspected militants were planning an attack using an improvised explosive device (IED). Similar security operations are possible in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey in the near term.

Context

Turkey has been faced with a Kurdish insurgency since 1984, spearheaded by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and concentrated in the southeast, demanding increased autonomy and an end to the oppression of Kurdish groups within the country. The armed conflict resumed in 2015 following the dissolution of a ceasefire established between the government and the PKK in 2013. The conflict has left over 40,000 people dead since 1984 and associated violence continues to pose a significant security risk in southeastern Turkey. Tensions between the Turkish state and Kurdish populations have intensified further since the launch of Operation Olive Branch, a Turkish offensive against Kurdish groups in Syria, in January 2018.

Advice

Due to the ongoing conflict between the Turkish government and the PKK, some Western governments advise against travel to various southeastern areas, notably including areas along the Syrian and Iraqi borders.