Is the Islamic State (IS) a terrorist organization? The Turkish people are left wondering because of the gaps between public perception and the legal system in Turkey.

In June 2014, 70.7% of Turks labeled IS as a terrorist organization; when the poll was repeated in September 2014, this had climbed to 79.8%. Although there have not been any credible polls since then, it is likely this will be even higher now.

If the majority of Turks think of IS as a terrorist organization, then what's the legal reality? Since spring 2015, Turkish security services have been considering IS as a security threat; three months ago, the Chief of General Staff started issuing information about captured IS elements and for the past two months has been labeling IS a terrorist organization.

In recent days, there have been reports of anti-IS operations by the Turkish police in various cities. On July 30, the Turkish media reported an anti-IS operation in Istanbul that resulted in the arrest of 30 people who were involved in organizing travel arrangements for Europeans to join IS in Iraq and Syria.