Istanbul court orders arrest of ISIL militant plotting attack in Turkey, Europe

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court on Dec. 18 ordered the arrest of an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militant who was apprehended in a counterterrorism operation in Istanbul in November.

The suspect, a Syrian national who was detained in a raid on Nov. 25, was seeking to carry out an attack against high-ranking officials in Turkey if he failed to flee the country illegally, Doğan News Agency reported.

During the November raid, in which the suspect was captured upon a tipoff, the police seized a map showing several addresses in Europe marked where the militant was plotting to launch attacks, the report said.

The addresses on the map in Europe belonged to consulates, consulate generals and several branches of a bank.

Digital data confiscated along with the suspect’s belongings have also been taken under investigation, the agency reported.

The suspect, who reportedly entered Turkey illegally, would have carried out the attack as a “lone wolf,” the police said.

Separately, three ISIL-linked suspects were arrested on Dec. 18 in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, state-run Anadolu agency reported, citing a security official.

The suspects were arrested during counterterrorism operations launched in Şanlıurfa’s Harran and Akçakale districts, said the official, who asked to remain anonymous due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

More than 300 people have lost their lives in attacks claimed by ISIL in Turkey, including suicide bombings, rocket attacks and shootings.

Turkish security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to thwart ISIL attacks. Since August last year, Istanbul police have carried out at least 100 operations and detained nearly 1,000 suspects.