Turkey will more than double the number of police officers on duty in Istanbul and ban public celebrations in major districts on New Year's Eve for security reasons, a year after a gunman killed 37.000 people at a nightclub, officials said.
State media reported that police had also detained dozens of people suspected of involvement in Islamic State, although the arrests were not linked to New Year's Eve security measures.
On New Year's Eve a year ago, a man armed with an assault rifle shot and killed Turks and visitors from Arab countries, India and Canada at the luxurious Reina nightclub.
A year later, 37.000 police and about 4.000 gendarmes will be on duty on New Year's Eve, Istanbul Governor Vassip Sahin told reporters today - more than double the normal growth of the police.
"Almost all of our teams will be on duty. "We will take every possible measure in Istanbul so that our citizens can celebrate the New Year happily and peacefully," he said.
Authorities either banned or canceled for security reasons public celebrations scheduled for New Year's Eve in the central districts of Istanbul's Beyoglu, Sisli and Besiktas districts, officials said.
City officials in Sisli said they were canceling a four-day event scheduled to begin today after the local governor asked for its duration to be reduced for security reasons.
Besiktas City Council has refused to allow an event to take place, Haberturk reported.
According to the newspaper, security has also been strengthened in Taksim Square.
"The security measures for the New Year will be at the highest level. There will be no festive events. "Rallies will not be allowed," said Beyoglu police chief Ismail Kilic.
The Islamic State jihadist group had claimed responsibility for the attack on the nightclub.
The trial of the suspects in the attack on Reina began this month.
Turkish police have arrested 38 people, some of them Syrians, on suspicion of involvement in the Islamic State group.
The arrests were made during an operation in the northwestern province of Bursa, the state-run Anatoli news agency reported.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Wednesday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
