Suspect Says Sent Money from Iran for Turkey Bombs

ISTANBUL (Reuters) ^ | Dec 20, 2003 | ISTANBUL (Reuters)

[faludeh_shirazi]

Suspect Says Sent Money from Iran for Turkey Bombs

Free Iran at ActivistChat.com!

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish man has admitted he received $50,000 from an Iranian source and sent it to Turkey to finance last month's suicide bomb attacks in Istanbul, a newspaper said on Saturday.

Adnan Ersoz, charged with attempting to change "the constitutional order by force of arms" on Friday, had confirmed that an international terrorist organization had given training and cash to members of a Turkish Islamist group, police said in a statement on Friday.

Police did not name the international organization. But a report in Hurriyet newspaper said he told interrogators he had breakfast with al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and one of the Istanbul suicide bombers in Afghanistan (news - web sites) before September 11, 2001.

There they decided to attack U.S. targets in Turkey, he was reported to have said.

"I followed up the necessary financing for the attacks which I thought would be carried out against U.S. targets," the newspaper quoted Ersoz as telling his interrogators. "I sent by courier $50,000 I got from an Iranian person."

He added that another $100,000 had been discussed but it was unclear whether the money was ever obtained.

The newspaper, close to the establishment, said Ersoz regretted the four bombings on Jewish and British targets in Turkey's commercial capital that killed 61 people and wounded hundreds. Most of the dead and wounded were Turkish Muslims.

He said the original target of the attacks had been the U.S. military base at Incirlik in southern Turkey, a key supply and refueling station for U.S.-led coalition troops in Iraq (news - web sites).

"But for a reason I don't know, the actions were carried out in Istanbul," Ersoz said. Afterwards, he met with another now- captured alleged attack ring-leader in Iran, he said.

"We talked of how the actions had harmed Turkey and that the majority of those killed were Muslims," Ersoz said. "I didn't know it would be like this. When I learned Turks had died, I regretted it."

Police said Ersoz was detained on December 15 after they persuaded him to return to Turkey from Iran. More than 30 people have been arrested and at least 150 more questioned over the explosions.

Turkish officials and media have speculated about a possible bin Laden link with the Istanbul attacks. Bin Laden's al Qaeda network has been blamed for the attacks on U.S. cities on September 11, 2001.

[faludeh_shirazi]

FREE PING!

[Bambino]

"Suspect Says Sent Money from Iran for Turkey Bombs"

I HATE those exploding turkeys!

[faludeh_shirazi]

Especially when the stuffing is old ;)

[M Kehoe]

Hurriyet newspaper said he told interrogators he had breakfast with al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden

Talk about a flat chain of command. I hope they had bacon with their eggs.

5.56mm

[McGavin999]

Uh oh, what's that sound I hear? Is it the mad mullahs running for cover?

[Grampa Dave]

How many well armed and trained Turks would it take to put the Murdering Mullahs of Iran permanently out of business in a few days?

The Turks have the same justification to take out the murdering mullahs as we had to kill the Taliban and al Qaeda thugs.

[a_Turk]

We do not have the industrial capacity it takes to back up a sustained offensive war without putting our sovereignty at the mercy of those who *unreliably* supply us with weapon systems, etc. Not yet..

[DustyMoment]

Turkey bombs - does Julia Child make those?

[Grampa Dave]

It probably would not be a sustained war/offensive. Just go in and hammer the Murdering Mullahs and their top thugs. Then leave when the new revolution in Iran starts.

[FreedomPoster]

>>How many well armed and trained Turks would it take to put the Murdering Mullahs of Iran permanently out of business in a few days?

Fewer than they already have in uniform and under arms.

[gitmo]

The "turkey drop" was something of a radio-business legend even before this episode was made, but there were and still are conflicting stories as to where it happened. It is often claimed that it happened at WQXI in Atlanta. On the other hand, a 1979 report in "Advertising Age" magazine said that it was done by a radio station in Dallas, and that the turkeys were in fact thrown out of the back of a speeding truck. WKRP producer/director Rod Daniel also claimed it happened in Dallas, but that "they bombed a supermarket."

MR. CARLSON: As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.

[a_Turk]

>> It probably would not be a sustained war/offensive.

Unwise to bet the future of a coutry on an uncertain probability.

So long as we are dependent on third parties to supply such an effort, we should be unwilling to stretch the limits of our treaty obligations..

One must be completely Teutonistic in such decisions.. The next congress of the US may decide to work against Turkish interests once again, as it did during the 90s..

>> Then leave when the new revolution in Iran starts.

You can see how well that works in Iraq. Whether Iran is a different scenario than Iraq is again a speculative theory, as one cannot ascertain at this point what the reaction of the Iranians will be, how well the pro-Mullah population are supplied with unofficial weapons caches just to deal with the type of contingency you suggest, and how other governments and interests near and distant to Iran will decide to influence the course of events following such an undertaking.

Our problem is simple: We cannot rely on ourselves to carry out a sustained offensive war effort, and we cannot trust our allies..

[wtc911]

Can you believe a turk complaining that they can't trust their allies? Pot to kettle...

[DustyMoment]

I had forgotten all about the WKRP Turkey Drop episode. Too funny!! Thanks for reminding me.