Türkiye detains 11 foreigners over suspected IS, al-Qaida links

Counter-terrorism police in Istanbul detained 11 foreign nationals on Thursday over suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaida, local media reported.

State-run media said police carried out simultaneous raids at several addresses after determining that the suspects had maintained contact with members of both groups in conflict zones.

Authorities alleged that the suspects had posted content praising terrorist organisations on social media and were assessed as capable of carrying out attacks in Türkiye.

Police seized a knife, ammunition and a large quantity of digital material during the raids. The nationalities of those detained have not been disclosed.

Türkiye designated IS as a terrorist organisation in 2013 and has since experienced repeated attacks claimed by or linked to the group.