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 said the suspects were in contact with IS operatives outside Turkey. The announcement comes two days after Turkish intelligence agents conducted a raid against the group on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where a Turkish national with alleged senior ties to IS was detained.
Turkey's security services regularly target individuals suspected of IS links, given its 900km (560 mile) border with Syria, where the group continues to operate. Furthermore, Syria's president Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has close ties to Turkey, has committed to cooperating with the US and Europe to eliminate IS remnants.
In response to the recent violence, including the ambush that killed two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter, the US has carried out airstrikes against IS positions across Syria.
