Posted on 12/23/2003 8:42:42 AM PST by TexKat
ISTANBUL, Turkey - A court charged a Turkish man with aiding terrorists Tuesday after police found enough chemical fertilizer in his home to make five truck bombs like those used in last month's Istanbul suicide bombings, news reports said.
An arrested relative of Habip Aktas, a suspected leader of al-Qaida in Turkey, helped lead police to the 12 large sacks of chemical fertilizer at the home of Mehmet Kus in Istanbul, Turkish newspapers and television reported.
Cables and explosives were also seized in the raid at the house, Sabah reported. The fertilizer was the same as that used to make the bombs in the four attacks, the Vatan and Sabah newspapers said.
On Tuesday, a State Security Court in Istanbul that deals with terrorism cases charged Kus with aiding and abetting terrorists, the semiofficial Anatolia news agency reported. Conviction on those charges carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Kus testified that the materials were given to him by another relative, but said he did not know what they were used for, Anatolia reported. NTV and Vatan said Kus was related to Aktas.
More than 30 people have been charged so far in connection with the attacks last month that killed 62 people. Al-Qaida involvement is suspected in the bombings, which targeted two synagogues, a London-based bank and the British Consulate.
Police also detained Harun Ilhan, a suspected top member of al-Qaida in Turkey, Anatolia reported. It said he was detained in the central city of Konya.
NTV television said some 20 people have been detained in Konya and Istanbul in the most recent sweep against militants.
Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler on Tuesday refused to comment on the reports, citing an ongoing investigation. He told reporters a statement would be made later.
Last week, a Turkish militant accused of acting as a link between the suicide bombers told police he received $150,000 from al-Qaida for attacks against U.S. targets, according to several Turkish newspapers.
Adnan Ersoz, who could face life in prison, named Aktas as the head of al-Qaida in Turkey, police said.
Ersoz reportedly said the bombers initially planned to target a Turkish military base used by the United States in southern Turkey, but were stymied by tight security.
Ersoz told a court that he went to Afghanistan in 1997 for military training and met with Osama bin Laden in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2001.
Police also detained Harun Ilhan, a suspected top member of al-Qaida in Turkey, Anatolia reported. It said he was detained in the central city of Konya.
Didn't really find anything on him via quick Googling, although I'm sure Angelus has a record on him. :-)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031219/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_bombings_3
Almost.
Yitiz said he heard from Aktas, who had fled to Iran before the attacks, that Al Qaeda "considered the bombings as a failure because it mostly killed Muslim Turks," the intelligence official said.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1071660245023&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968705899037
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.