ISIL’s magazine slams Erdoğan, Turkey for first time

ISTANBUL

A Turkish online magazine that supports the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has slammed Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the first time.

“Konstantiniyye” (the Ottoman word for Istanbul) published its second issue on July 17. The magazine, which did not criticize or threaten Turkey in its first issue earlier this year, changed its tone dramatically as Ankara toughened its stance against ISIL.

“[In this issue] we tried to explain that the state of Turkey, which is trying to confront the Islamic State by displaying erratic behavior, is moving toward disintegration with its support and concessions to the [outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK,” the issue’s prologue said.

The magazine referred to the PKK as “the atheist gang” and Turkey as “the regime of tağut.” 

The term “tağut” comes from the Arabic word taghut, which means to “cross the limits, overstep boundaries,” or “to rebel.” Those who cross the limits put by God and the Prophet Muhammad deserve to be punished, according to jihadists.

“This atheist gang, fed by Erdoğan, calls for support by continuously claiming that the tağut government of Erdoğan has been supporting the Islamic State,” an article titled “Erdoğan’s Kurdish state” said. “They actually know that the tağut Erdoğan government is not helping the Islamic State in any way.”

The magazine also targeted Turkey’s Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), describing it as “the party of apostate PKK members.”

“This atheist gang, fed by Erdoğan, which is now fighting with the support of the American aircraft in Syria and Iraq, may fight in Turkey in a similar way in the not too distant future,” the article said.