Details of the operation revealed: They were funding an IS cell

Müslim SARIYAR/12punto.com.tr

While 36 suspects were captured in the “Bozdoğan-27” operations carried out against the IS terrorist organization in Istanbul, Eskişehir, İzmir, and Kayseri, striking details have emerged regarding the Istanbul leg of the investigation.

The interrogation of 15 IS-affiliated suspects, who were captured on allegations of sending money to an individual conducting financial activities via various social media platforms in Istanbul and having links to terrorist organizations, continues at the Istanbul Counter-Terrorism Branch.

Within the framework of the investigation conducted into the organization, the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), which scrutinized the financial structure and money traffic of these individuals close to IS, reported all available information and documents to the police.

Acting in line with the report from MASAK, the Istanbul Intelligence Branch Directorate and Counter-Terrorism (TEM) teams identified the organization-affiliated suspects whose names appeared in the report one by one. Simultaneous operations were organized at the identified addresses. While it was announced that 15 suspects were captured in the raids, details regarding the investigation have come to light.

While the criminal elements seized within the scope of the operation were displayed at the Counter-Terrorism Branch, the data reflected in the MASAK report revealed that the suspects in question were funding a cell led by Recep B., an IS leader codenamed “Ebu Sıraç,” who is in the “Red” category of the “most wanted terrorists” list published by the Ministry of Interior.

It was noted that the suspects collected money through accounts such as “aid for Syrian sisters” and “Idlib aid,” which they created via social media using methods described as “infak” (charity), and that they exploited people's religious sentiments to send the collected money to the terrorist codenamed “Ebu Sıraç,” an IS leader in Syria. It was learned that the suspects, who were determined to have provided resources to the terrorist organization IS through the cell led by Recep B., had established a large-scale network.

While their connections in Turkey were deciphered one by one, it was stated that organization sympathizers, described as intermediate collectors, were located at the lower level of the system. It was determined that after the money was collected in the bank accounts of these individuals, people assigned by the IS member Recep B., codenamed “Ebu Sıraç,” transferred the money in question from border provinces to Syria. The amount of money that the suspects, described as “intermediate collectors,” transferred to IS camps has not yet been specified.