The Turkish anti-terror squads conducted a series of raids in seven districts of Istanbul detaining 45 Daesh suspects, who were allegedly planning to carry out an attack, the Anadolu news agency reported citing a police source.
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It comes a day after local police said that the administration of Istanbul's central Beyoglu district canceled New Year's celebrations on the central Taksim Square and touristic Istiklal Street due to a terrorist threat.
Turkey has been in a state of emergency since July 21, 2016, after a failed coup that resulted in deaths of over 240 people; it has been extended for three-month periods ever since. Ankara accuses the Gulen movement of masterminding the coup attempt, and has arrested thousands of military personnel, activists, officials, journalists, legal and educational workers over suspected links to the group. Gulen himself, who has been residing in the United States since 1999, has refuted all the allegations on numerous occasions.
