Turkey arrested 340 Islamic State group suspects in December: report

At least 34 of the suspects were remanded in custody, some were deported and others are still awaiting trial, according to security sources cited by Anadolu.

Police operations in Ankara led to the arrest of 18 Iraqi nationals alleged to have links with the IS group, while separate raids in Izmir province led to the detention of 11 more suspects.

One of the suspects detained in Izmir, named only as Ramazan O, is linked to a suspect in a recent terror attack in Austria.

Ramzan O, also known as Abu Haris, remains in detention alongside two others. 

Authorities said at least 15 foreign suspects were also arrested in Istanbul ahead of the New Year.

At least 15 foreign suspects were also held in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul before the New Year.

Turkey, which neighbours both Syria and Iraq, has faced several attacks by the IS group, including at least 10 suicide bombings and four armed attacks.

On January 1 2017, a gunman opened fire on party-goers at a nightclub in Istanbul, killing 39 people and injuring 79 others. Turkish authorities later named the perpetrator as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national with links to the IS group.

A Turkish court in September handed Masharipov 40 life sentences - one for each of the victims and one for the massacre itself - for "deliberate murder" and "violating the constitution".

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