Turkish court charges conspirator in Istanbul bombings

Associated Press ^ | 12/19/03

[TexKat]

Ankara, Turkey — An anti-terrorism court Friday charged a Turk with an offence amounting to treason after authorities said he acted as a link between al-Qaida and suicide bombers in attacks that killed 62 people in Istanbul last month.

Adnan Ersoz, who was detained Monday, is suspected to have been involved in the planning of the four truck bombings after meeting with Osama bin Laden, an intelligence official said.

Mr. Ersoz confessed he underwent explosives training in al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, the intelligence official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mr. Ersoz told a court Friday that he went to Afghanistan in 1997, received military training there, and met with bin Laden in 2001, but denied having advance knowledge of the attacks, the semiofficial Anatolia news agency reported. He also denied to the court that he had received orders from bin Laden to carry out the attacks, it reported.

The State Security Court in Istanbul charged Mr. Ersoz with attempting to overthrow Turkey's "constitutional order by force," Anatolia reported. The offence amounts to treason and is punishable by life in prison.

No trial date was set.

Police said in a statement that the man was captured as he entered the country at Istanbul's airport. The statement did not say where he was coming from or why he travelled to Istanbul. Anatolia said he came from Iran.

Mr. Ersoz told the court he had come to Turkey because he wanted to take advantage of a government amnesty that benefits those who give information about illegal organizations to authorities, Anatolia said. He admitted he knew several of the suspects in the bombings but denied any link to them, the agency reported.

The police statement did not mention Mr. Ersoz by name, but Anatolia identified him as Mr. Ersoz, quoting police sources.

The police statement said the man told interrogators that "a local structure has been established in Turkey" linked to "an international terrorist organization." Police also said the man said he lived abroad "and has been maintaining the link between this structure and the terrorist organization."

The police statement did not name the "international terrorist organization," but intelligence officials said the statement was referring to al-Qaida.

Mr. Ersoz was believed to be a senior member of local al-Qaida cells.

"He is one of the top guys who met with bin Laden and received his blessing for the attacks," the intelligence official said.

Intelligence officials have already named Habip Aktas and Ibrahim Kus as two conspirators who met with bin Laden in 2002 and received his consent and approval to stage terrorist attacks in Turkey. Mr. Aktas and Mr. Kus are still at large.

An intelligence official had earlier told The Associated Press that in his interrogation, Mr. Ersoz confirmed the militants' first target was a Turkish military base used by the United States in southern Turkey, but they were hindered by tight security. Instead, they bombed two synagogues Nov. 15 and the British Consulate and a London-based bank in Istanbul only five days later.

The attacks killed 62 people, including the four bombers.

According to the Hurriyet newspaper Friday, Ersoz said militants have been preparing for the attacks for about two years and that they were often shown videos of the killings of Muslims fighting in Chechnya and Afghanistan, and were asked, "Who will be a suicide bomber?"

[TexKat]

Adnan Ersoz, who was detained Monday, is suspected to have been involved in the planning of the four truck bombings after meeting with Osama bin Laden, an intelligence official said.

For those that profess that OBL has returned to dust from whence he came, this should be an eye opener.

[TexKat]

Turkey traitor ping.

[blackie]

I still think we got Usama with a daisy cutter early in the Afgan war ~ has anyone seen him? :)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[TexKat]

I still think we got Usama with a daisy cutter early in the Afgan war ~ has anyone seen him? :)

Yes Adnan Ersoz, its being reported in this article that he said he met with OBL prior to the bombing in Turkey.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Mr. Ersoz confessed he underwent explosives training in al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, the intelligence official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

I'll bet he went through a lot of persuading for that confession.

[diamondjoe]

Well, if bin Laden has radically changed himself via plastic surgery, as is also claimed, this guy should be able to spill the beans on that, too. He can also answer the simple "Where did you meet him?" question. Sounds as though the operation had a good chance this guy would be captured. Given that, and given that he'd be able to reveal where OBL is (and what he looks like), I doubt that OBL (if he lives) would be so stupid to meet with him, hence, I doubt his story.

[hosepipe]

OBL still alive would mean capture is possible. much better than a dead martyr.. however a dead martyr is not chicken liver which is probably what he is somewhere between two rocks...

[blackie]

Isn't old Adnan one of the terrorists? :)

[radu]

Thanks for the ping, TexKat.

I don't think Binny Boy is dead but I believe he's a very ill man. That's probably why we don't see him in the videos anymore.....he doesn't want his followers to know how bad off he is.
There have been too many other reports about followers having meetings with him fairly recently to make me think differently.

Glad to see Turkey's on the ball, arresting and charging those involed with those bombings in Istanbul. I have a friend who lives there who just barely missed being caught up in one of them. brrrrrrrr! Just got cold chills.

[windchime]

Mansoor Ijaz reported recently that OBL is alive and in Iran. It certainly is a possibility that should be considered.

[TexKat]

What have they done that was sensible so far. Nothing, everything that they have done has jeopardized others as well as themselves. We are really not dealing with people who give a hell of damn about anything, not even living. The cause that they are fighting for is death (their word is martyrdom) but the bottom line is stupidly taking their own lives as well as others. I am still amazed at why people think OBL was amongst his fighters. What leader, president, etc. today is out amongst their fighters assisting in the fight instead of being in a safe place given orders?