Indictment reveals ISIL-K network in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A recently accepted indictment has revealed a series of terror activities by ISIL-Khorasan in Istanbul, ranging from plans to attack parliament and military barracks in the city to establishing member recruitment networks.

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office earlier initiated an investigation into 12 suspects, six of whom are detained, for operating a center in the Başakşehir district where they allegedly trained individuals for the terrorist organization ISIL- Khorasan (ISIL-K).

ISIL-K, named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly established a reputation for extreme brutality.

The completed indictment disclosed that individuals of Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Caucasian descent established an illegal religious center in Başakşehir, maintaining close contact with the terrorist organization's elements in Syria and Afghanistan.

Most of the center's teachers were of Arab nationality, the indictment said, adding that under the guise of religious education, students were subjected to ISIL propaganda. The organization's leaders planning to send indoctrinated individuals to Afghanistan via Türkiye to join ISIL-K.

The indictment also revealed that the center's dormitories housed the members from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Caucasus, Iraq and Egypt, along with providing residential education to around 70 children aged 16-17, including some who had been killed while active within the terrorist organization in Syria.

Nine members of the ISIL terrorist cell held a meeting in Istanbul in late June 2023 to discuss attack plots on the parliament and military barracks or police stations in Istanbul.

The indictment stated that a member identified as Fuad Azeri would cover the procurement of weapons and explosive components for the attacks, while others were tasked with collecting the necessary funds.

Additionally, the indictment included evidence found during searches, such as an unlicensed weapon, ammunition, currency, photographs of armed men in camouflage attire and women in burqas conducting shooting practices.

The prosecution sought sentences ranging from seven and a half years to 15 years for membership in a terrorist organization and one and a half years to four and a half years for possession of an unlicensed weapon.

The suspects are expected to appear before the judge in the second hearing scheduled for May.

Türkiye has recently announced the abolishment of visa exemption for citizens of Tajikistan, following recent security concerns linked to international incidents involving Tajik nationals.