IS suspect detained in Istanbul has plans for "sensational" terror attack

Intelligence units determined that the suspect made discoveries in some of the densely populated areas on the European side of the biggest Turkish city to organize the attack, Demiroren said.

In a video aired by the news agency, the suspect was seen patrolling the Istiklal Avenue and the nearby iconic Taksim Square, two main tourist destinations in Istanbul.

The suspect was later caught in an operation at a hotel in the Kucukcekmece district, Demiroren noted.

During the raid, police also seized a long-barrelled Kalashnikov gun, five pistol magazines, and 150 cartridges in the hotel room, it said.

According to the state-run Anadolu agency, the suspect arrived in Istanbul from the southeastern province of Gaziantep to conduct the attack on behalf of the IS after illegally crossing into the country from Syria.
Counter-terrorism teams have recently intensified their operations against the IS members in Turkey.

Earlier in August, a suspected member of the terror group was arrested in the northwestern province of Bursa for planning a suicide bombing, while six Iraqi nationals were detained in the northern province of Samsun over their suspected links to the IS.

The IS was blamed for a spate of deadly attacks over the years in Turkey, in which more than 300 people were killed.