Turkish police detained 18 suspects on Tuesday in coordinated counterterrorism raids across the Karacabey district of Bursa, acting on an investigation into 19 alleged members of the Islamic State (IS). Authorities said teams swept multiple locations and are still searching for one remaining suspect as the operation moves forward under the Bursa Police Department.
The case centers on a network prosecutors say supported IS activity, a group Turkey designated a terrorist organization in 2013. Since then, IS has struck inside the country with attacks in major cities, prompting Ankara to intensify domestic arrests, expand surveillance of suspected cells, and carry out cross-border actions against IS targets in Syria and Iraq. Police operations—often staged before dawn and backed by intelligence units—have become a regular feature of Turkey’s security posture, particularly in transit hubs and industrial provinces such as Bursa.
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Officials did not immediately release details about the suspects’ nationalities, alleged roles, or whether explosives or weapons were seized. Counterterrorism cases in Turkey typically proceed under broad national-security statutes, with suspects held for questioning before formal charges are announced.
The Bursa action fits a wider pattern of rolling crackdowns that Turkish authorities say are designed to prevent IS regrouping and recruitment. While IS lost territorial control in Iraq and Syria years ago, security services across the region continue to track its cells, financing pipelines, and propaganda outlets—factors that help determine whether arrests lead to prosecutions or larger, follow-on raids.