Authorities unveil funding network for ISIL in recent arrests

ISTANBUL

Turkish police have detained dozens of ISIL suspects in coordinated operations across four provinces, including Istanbul, as authorities reveal that the detainees were among those who funded the group.

Istanbul police's anti-terror teams conducted simultaneous raids in the city as well as in Eskişehir, İzmir and Kayseri, detaining 36 suspects alleged to have been involved in financing the group.

The suspects came under scrutiny after the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) flagged abnormal money flows in their accounts. Authorities discovered that the suspects had written descriptions such as "Idlib aid" and "support for our sisters in Syria" during transactions.

Investigations revealed that the suspects had been sending funds to an individual conducting financial activities in Istanbul through various social media platforms.

Acting on a report from MASAK, the police launched operations targeting the suspects, resulting in the detention of 15 more individuals.

Authorities determined that the suspects had been financing a network led by Recep B, also known as Ebu Sıraç, a wanted member of ISIL. Funds collected by exploiting religious sentiments were allegedly transferred to individuals close to the organization in Türkiye and then funneled to Syria from border provinces by individuals assigned by Recep B.

The interrogation of the detained suspects is ongoing.

Türkiye has experienced a spate of ISIL-related attacks in recent years, including the 2017 nightclub shooting in Istanbul, which claimed 39 lives. In the most recent incident, one person was killed when gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Istanbul's Sarıyer district in January.