ISIL’s so-called ‘education centers’ busted in Ankara

ANKARA

Police have busted some houses that ISIL terrorists had converted into so-called “sharia education centers” in the capital Ankara within the scope of simultaneous operations and detained some 17 terrorists.

During the operations, the provincial counterterrorism team seized piles of digital materials and banned publications with propaganda content.

Some of the detained 17 suspects traveled to conflict zones and engaged in armed clashes on behalf of the terrorist organization.

Various rooms in the apartments where the ISIL member resided were used as so-called classrooms to conduct illegal education activities.

These terrorists subjected children to radical sharia education with ISIL ideology to prompt them to use that in terrorist acts. Officials from the National Education Directorate sealed these so-called classrooms.

Works have also started for enrolling children who ISIL illegally educated in schools.

In addition to these education centers, the terrorists also established supposed courts where so-called judges of the terrorist organization gave punishments.

The police also found out that the detained suspects used to collect money in order to send it to ISIL members in conflict zones and manipulated people to join the terrorist organization.

One of the places raided during the operation was an automobile repair shop, where the suspects were performing Friday prayers, according to a shopkeeper.

Meanwhile, counterterrorism teams in the southern province of Adana caught seven ISIL members who participated in the armed service of the organization in Iraq and Syria and entered Türkiye illegally.

In 2013, Türkiye became one of the first countries to declare ISIL a terrorist group.

The country has since been attacked by ISIL terrorists multiple times, with at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four-armed attacks, killing 315 people and injuring hundreds more.