Turkey Arrests 70 Suspects Related To ISIS In Heroes Operation

Illustration of the arrest of Wikimedia Commons Oregon Department of Transportation

JAKARTA - Turkish authorities have detained 70 suspects linked to the ISIS terrorist group in the Hero's Operations held throughout the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

In his upload on social media, the Minister of Home Affairs Ali Yerlikaya announced that a large amount of money, digital materials and receipts of Hawala banking transactions were also found in the raid, reported by the Daily Sabah on January 12.

Hawala is an informal remittance system traditionally used in some parts of the world.

A video accompanying the post of the Minister of Home Affairs Yerikaya showing a vehicle leaving the police station and armed officers in military uniforms raiding the location, followed by searches and arrests.

In late December, Turkish security forces detained 32 ISIS militant suspects who, according to Anadolu Agency (AA) reports, allegedly planned an attack on FIREs, churches, and the Iraqi Embassy.

A week earlier, police arrested 304 ISIS terrorist suspects in simultaneous raids across Turkey in what appeared to be a security sweep ahead of New Year's celebrations.

It is known that ISIS controlled a third of Iraq and Syria at its peak of glory in 2014. Despite being pushed back, they continued to launch attacks.

ISIS itself remains the second largest threat of terrorism to Turkey, which faces security risks from various terrorist groups. In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare ISIS a terrorist group.

The group has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkey over the past decade, including on January 1, 2017, which killed 39 people during New Year's celebrations and bombings during a peace march in Ankara in October 2015 that killed about 105 people.

Terrorist groups such as ISIS, PKK and YPG rely on networks of members and their supporters in Turkey. In response, Ankara has intensified its crackdown on terrorists and their domestic relations, carrying out arrest operations and freezing assets to eliminate terrorist groups.