ISIL terrorists who killed three police officers in a clash in the northwestern province of Yalova in late 2025 had previously plotted to assassinate the provincial head of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and had also devised plans to target family members who refused to join the jihadist group, according to prosecutors.
The indictment relates to a December 2025 counterterrorism operation in a northwestern district, where a clash broke out between police and militants hiding in a village house, leaving three officers dead.
According to the document, five of the six suspects had been detained and jailed in 2024 on charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization,” but were acquitted in October 2025 — just two months before the clash — media reported on Feb. 15.
A forensic examination of the suspects’ mobile phones revealed preparations for an assassination attempt against Yalova provincial AKP Chair Umut Güçlü.
Investigators found a floor plan and photographs of a house owned by Güçlü’s father, where he occasionally stayed, as well as messages indicating efforts to procure weapons.
In another striking finding, the suspects were allegedly planning to kill their own fathers and brothers for refusing to join ISIL.
Afterward, they intended to force their mothers to marry individuals they deemed suitable within the organization.
The Yalova cell was also attempting to establish a religious association as a legal front. Prosecutors said the group was not a simple congregation but a clandestine structure seeking to build infrastructure inside Türkiye for future attacks and assassinations.
During meetings held under the guise of “lessons” and “religious talks,” members delivered lectures titled “preparation for war,” the importance of individual armament” and “every Muslim must receive military training and know how to use weapons,” the indictment said.
They were also planning to open a boarding course in Yalova to provide organizational training under the cover of religious education.
Following the incident, Turkish authorities detained hundreds of ISIL members in nationwide operations.
