Turkey foils Islamist terror attacks on synagogues and European embassies

Turkey’s intelligence service busted a network of 15 Islamic State operatives, who allegedly planned to carry out terrorist attacks against the embassies of Sweden and the Netherlands in Istanbul. 

The attack were plotted as retaliatory measures to the far-right protests in those countries where Quran books were set on fire by anti-Muslim extremists. 

In a report from Turkey’s Hürriyet news agency it was also said that the operatives plotted attacks on synagogues and churches in Istanbul.

Last week, the U.S. embassy in Turkey issued a warning regarding possible attacks against churches, synagogues and diplomatic missions following the Quran-burning incidents. The alert said that “possible imminent retaliatory attacks by terrorists” could happen in Istanbul’s main touristic neighborhoods such as Beyoglu, Galata, Taksim and Istiklal. It added that Turkish authorities are conducting an investigation. 

Last month, Ankara warned its citizens on Saturday over “possible Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks” in Europe and the United States and summoned Denmark’s ambassador in response to authorities in Copenhagen allowing a far-right extremist Rasmus Paludan to burn a Quran.

Paludan, who is a Danish-Swedish dual national, first burnt a copy of the holy book near a mosque in Copenhagen and then a second copy outside the Turkish embassy. He held a similar protest in Stockholm, which led to Turkey postponing the planned NATO accession talks with Sweden and Finland over their membership bid in the U.S.-led alliance. 

Source » i24news