Turkey arrests 21 suspected 'IS' members

The detainees are accused of planning to travel to Syria to fight for the terrorist network. The operation appeared to be the largest one yet in targeting "IS" suspects in Turkey, with IS-related arrests taking place for the first time in Istanbul.

The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that coordinated raids across the country had led police to uncover weapons, including hunting rifles and ammunition. Anadolu added that the police may also have identified previously unknown IS recruiters, who had actively been drafting fighters for more than 12 months, including recruitees from Europe.

Gateway to foreign IS recruits

Thousands of foreigners have been barred from entering the country because of related security concerns. However, the nationalities of the three foreign detainees were not immediately revealed.

Officials at the counterterrorism department in Istanbul's police headquarters declined to comment on any details on the operation, but it was revealed that authorities had initially issued arrest warrants for at least 30 suspects.

The police had already arrested a number of suspected militants in recent months in an apparent bid to deflect criticism that the country wasn't doing enough in the fight against IS and against a general trend of radicalization. The latest arrests came after a two-day visit earlier this week by a senior US delegation during which Turkey pledged further cooperation, stepping up efforts to prevent foreign fighters crossing into neighboring Syria to join IS.

Military presence along Syrian border

Turkey has also reinforced its military presence along the volatile border over the past week, deploying tanks and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as additional troops. But Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu ruled out any prospect of an immediate intervention in Syria, while stressing that the Syrian conflict posed a major threat to Turkey.

IS has taken over large portions of neighboring Syria, where opposition groups backed by Turkey's Western allies are battling both President Bashar al-Assad's forces and the growing threat posed by IS.

ss/kms (Reuters, AFP, dpa)