For days, reports had been circulating that ISIS was planning a massacre in Turkey during the New Year period. Turkish police carried out operations at a total of 108 different addresses in 15 cities.
During an operation conducted last night in the city of Yalova, near Istanbul, ISIS members opened fire on the police. As a result of the five-hour operation, three police officers were killed and nine security personnel were wounded. Six ISIS members found at the targeted address were also killed.
“Turkey’s angry children”
When ISIS first emerged, Ahmet Davutoğlu—who was prime minister at the time—said he did not see ISIS as a terrorist organization, referring to its members as “angry young people.”
President Erdoğan, meanwhile, voiced support for ISIS as it was massacring Kurds in Kobani, saying, “Kobani is about to fall.”
ISIS members were trained and armed in various regions of Turkey. The Turkish state and the Erdoğan government are known for openly supporting ISIS, using it—primarily against Kurds and the Assad government—in Syria.
ISIS carried out dozens of massacres in Turkey. Hundreds of people lost their lives in attacks in Ankara, Suruç, and many other cities. While the Erdoğan government has attempted to cover up these massacres to prevent ISIS members from being prosecuted, the relatives of those who lost their lives continue to pursue justice.
