Turkish authorities announced on Christmas Day that 115 individuals suspected of affiliation with the Islamic State (ISIS) in connection with alleged plans for attacks during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
The operation involved coordinated raids by police, intelligence services, and military forces across 124 locations in Istanbul. According to statements from the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office, the suspects were apprehended based on intelligence indicating their involvement in preparations for these incidents.
The detained individuals are described as suspected members of the Islamic State group. Reports indicate they were engaged in activities such as financing the organization’s operations, disseminating its propaganda, and maintaining communications with ISIS operatives located outside Turkey.
All 115 arrestees are confirmed to have ties to ISIS, with no indications in available information of affiliations to other Islamist groups in this specific case. Efforts are ongoing to locate an additional 22 suspects linked to the network, officials said.
Potential targets of the planned Christmas attacks included gatherings and events associated with Christmas and New Year celebrations throughout Turkey. Intelligence reports specified that the plots focused particularly on non-Muslims, though exact locations such as specific public spaces, religious sites, or venues were not detailed in official releases.
During the raids, security forces seized various items, including firearms, ammunition, and organizational documents. Specific mentions include several pistols and related munitions, which were recovered from the targeted addresses.
These seizures were part of the evidence gathered to support the allegations of attack planning. Authorities have not released further details on the quantity or types of weapons beyond these descriptions, emphasizing instead the disruption of the network’s capabilities.
“Turkish authorities have detained 115 suspected Islamic State members they said were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country,” the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office posted on X. “Istanbul Police obtained information that Islamic State members had planned attacks in Turkey, against non-Muslims in particular, during Christmas and New Year celebrations.”
🚨 BREAKING: Turkey just arrested 115 Muslims for planning Christmas and NYE terror attacks, members of the Islamic State group.
Mass raids were carried out across 124 addresses in Istanbul.
Christianity and Christmas are under attack. pic.twitter.com/lq9MtPI0QB
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 25, 2025
Thursday’s operation follows a pattern of regular actions by Turkish security services against individuals with suspected ISIS connections, which has been designated as a terrorist organization in the country since 2013.
Turkey shares a 900-kilometer border with Syria, where IS maintains operations in certain areas despite losing territorial control in 2019. Between 2013 and 2023, Turkish authorities arrested over 19,000 individuals for alleged IS affiliations and deported more than 7,600 foreign nationals suspected of involvement with foreign armed groups
Back in March, 298 suspected IS members were detained across 47 provinces. The recent arrests come shortly after a raid by Turkish intelligence on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where a Turkish national holding a senior role in an IS affiliate was captured and accused of orchestrating attacks on civilians.
