Eight suspected Isis extremists have allegedly been detained by Turkish authorities en route to Germany, Turkey’s state media has claimed.
The men, who are believed to be of Moroccan origin and have been connected by local authorities to the extremist group also known as the Islamic State, were stopped at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport from Casablanca on Wednesday.
Their detainment comes following multiple attacks across Paris on Friday night in which 129 people died. Isis later claimed the attacks.
It appears the men told police they had arrived in the city as tourists, after they were apprehended by Istanbul Security Directorate’s Counterterrorism and Intelligence Branch, according to state media agency Anadolu.
They claimed to have booked hotel rooms, but officers reported being unable to find any reservations under the men’s given names.
A document seized by authorities – and circulating online – appears to show the route the group planned to take. The Independent was unable to verify these claims.
Turkey is often one of the main transit hubs for refugees fleeing instability and violence in the Middle East and North Africa. Presently, an estimated two million Syrian refugees have fled to the country.
