Turkish authorities detained more than 200 individuals, including suspected ISIS-linked militants, in a sweeping Tuesday operation in Ankara ahead of the July 7–8 NATO summit.
The operation followed detention orders for 241 suspects issued by Turkish authorities, of whom 209 were apprehended, according to the Associated Press, which cited a statement from the office of Turkey’s chief prosecutor.
Of those detained, 56 were identified as alleged ISIS militants, the AP reported. This follows a December operation in which Turkish authorities said they had detained 125 ISIS members.
The detentions took place roughly two weeks ahead of the scheduled NATO summit in Ankara on July 7, which President Donald Trump is expected to attend.
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President Donald Trump greets Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct. 13, 2025, to support ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo/Pool)
Additionally, 35 alleged members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front were detained; Turkish authorities described the group as a far‑left organization responsible for armed attacks and assassinations in Turkey, the AP reported.
The operations targeting ISIS highlight the group’s continued presence in the region, indicating that it remains active despite the U.S. effort during Trump’s first term to dismantle its caliphate and seize control of extensive territories in the Middle East.
Iraqi government forces celebrate while holding an Islamis Sate (IS) group flag after they claimed they have gained complete control of the Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on January 26, 2015 near the town of Muqdadiyah. (AFP/Getty Images)
In recent years, ISIS has expanded into Africa, prompting a robust U.S. response. In May, President Trump authorized a series of strikes in Nigeria aimed at combating the group.
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A strike on May 16 killed ISIS leader Abu‑Bilal al‑Minuki, the group’s global second‑in‑command.
U.S. and Nigerian forces conducted kinetic strikes against ISIS fighters in northeastern Nigeria on Sunday, May 17, 2026, AFRICOM said. (X / U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM))
“Abu‑Bilal al‑Minuki, the ISIS global second‑in‑command, believed he could hide in Africa, but he underestimated our intelligence sources that kept us informed of his activities,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post after the strike. “He will no longer terrorize Africans or assist in planning attacks against Americans.”
The group’s resurgence also features a call for supporters to launch attacks on U.S. soil during the World Cup.