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After claims were made that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was devising a plan to assassinate İstanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Turkey’s Ministry of the Interior sent an emergency alert and warning to İmamoğlu’s protection team on 23 November.
The number of bodyguards assigned to İmamoğlu has been increased by an order of the Governorship of İstanbul. It has since been reported by ODA TV, an online news portal, that the ISIS members who were reportedly given the order to assassinate Mayor İmamoğlu were caught. Officials, however, have denied these claims.
The General Directorate of Security denied the claims that were made in the ODA TV report and stated that no ISIS members involved in this plot have been detained. The İstanbul Municipality Mayor’s spokesperson Murat Ongun shared a post on Twitter regarding the issue, stating that they have not been informed of any ISIS members being caught.
“We have increased measures for protection. As can be seen, our Mayor’s routine programmes have continued since this notification”, said Ongun.
Süleyman Soylu, the Turkish Minister of Interior Affairs spoke to journalist Uğur Dündar regarding the incident. “From time to time, we receive such intelligence about some popular people and politicians. We evaluate this information very carefully and take measures, but we never share it with the public”, Soylu said.
