Turkey: Police detain 43 IS-linked individuals in Istanbul July 20 /update 2

Event

On Monday, July 23, Turkish police announced that they had arrested 43 people suspected of having links to the Islamic State (IS) group in Istanbul during a series of raids in the city on Friday, July 20. Those arrested allegedly active in social media groups connected to IS militants and had communicated with people in conflict areas where IS maintains a presence. 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 Istanbul, 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 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.).