Financing operation for ISIS terrorist organization: 14 detained

As a result of the work carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to reveal the activities of terrorist organizations; It was understood that four women and three men, including some Turkish citizens, were detained by German law enforcement forces on May 31, 2023, on the charge of financing the ISIS armed terrorist organization.

Within the scope of the investigation initiated by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on the subject, it was determined that coordinated donations were collected in German-speaking countries in order to buy and liberate members of the ISIS terrorist organization held captive in camps under the control of the PKK/KCK-PYD/YPG terrorist organization in the north of Syria, or to provide financial support. These donations, generally coordinated from Syria, were collected through channels established through the social media platform called "Telegram", by people in Germany through financial transfer service providers, online payment services (WISE) or other intermediary persons. It was determined that it was transferred to Syria using financial agents.

Within the scope of the work carried out by the Ankara Provincial Police Department Counter-Terrorism Branch Directorate C Bureau teams under the coordination of the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a total of 16 individuals, 2 Syrian and 1 Uzbekistan national, were identified, about whom there was information that they carried out terrorism financing activities on behalf of the ISIS terrorist organization and who were found to have carried out suspicious transactions as a result of the MASAK and HTS study.

Simultaneous operations were carried out in different provinces, centered in Ankara, on October 20, 2026; 14 of the 16 suspects were caught and detained on charges of being a member of an armed terrorist organization and violating the law on preventing the financing of terrorism. It was learned that the investigation continues.