27 ISIS Suspects Held in Turkey as Attacks Planned

Haydarpasa port and southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait are pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Turkey February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
Haydarpasa port and southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait are pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Turkey February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
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27 ISIS Suspects Held in Turkey as Attacks Planned

Haydarpasa port and southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait are pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Turkey February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
Haydarpasa port and southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait are pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Turkey February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo

Turkish police have detained 27 people in Istanbul over suspected links to the ISIS group Sunday, state-run media said Sunday.

The Anadolu news agency reported that the suspects were held in simultaneous early morning raids by anti-terrorist police in 15 districts across Istanbul as they allegedly prepared to carry out attacks.

The agency said the alleged attacks were in response to recent social media posts that insulted the Prophet Muhammad and that a "large number" of documents and digital material was recovered during the searches.

Turkey has suffered a number of attacks by Islamic State militants over the last five years, including the bombing of a peace rally in the capital Ankara in October 2015 that killed 102 people.



Türkiye’s Erdogan to Discuss Ukraine War with NATO Chief

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024 (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024 (Reuters)
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Türkiye’s Erdogan to Discuss Ukraine War with NATO Chief

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024 (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024 (Reuters)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday during his visit to Ankara, a Turkish official said on Sunday.
Russia struck Ukraine with a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use of US and British missiles against Russia, marking an escalation in the war that began when Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
NATO member Türkiye, which has condemned the Russian invasion, says it supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and it has provided Kyiv with military support.
But Türkiye, a Black Sea neighbor of both Russia and Ukraine, also opposes Western sanctions against Moscow, with which it shares important defense, energy and tourism ties.
On Wednesday, Erdogan opposed a US decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to attack inside Russia, saying it would further inflame the conflict, according to a readout shared by his office.
Moscow says that by giving the green light for Ukraine to fire Western missiles deep inside Russia, the US and its allies are entering into direct conflict with Russia. On Tuesday, Putin approved policy changes that lowered the threshold for Russia to use nuclear weapons in response to an attack with conventional weapons.
During their talks on Monday, Erdogan and Rutte will also discuss the removal of defense procurement obstacles between NATO allies and the military alliance's joint fight against terrorism, the Turkish official said.