Turkish authorities say they have disrupted planned attacks on Christmas and New Year's events after arresting more than 100 suspected members of the so-called Islamic State group.
Mass raids were carried out at 124 addresses across Istanbul, the capital's chief prosecutor said, with firearms, ammunition and 'organisational documents' seized.
Officials said IS supporters had been actively planning attacks across Turkey this week, particularly against non-Muslims.
Police detained 115 suspects but efforts are ongoing to trace a further 22, an official statement read.
The prosecutor's office stated that the suspects were in contact with IS operatives outside Turkey.
This announcement came promptly after Turkish intelligence agents carried out a raid against the group on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, detaining a suspect with alleged senior ties to IS operations in that region.
Turkey’s security services routinely target individuals suspected of links to IS, especially given its extensive border with Syria, where the group still operates. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged cooperation with the US and Europe to eliminate IS remnants.
This follows a recent surge in US air strikes on IS positions in Syria after the killing of three Americans, including two soldiers and an interpreter, in an ambush earlier this month.
