Free Republic

SNIPPET: "The Turkic peoples have until now played a fairly peripheral role in global jihadism. They have not attracted much academic attention, and apart from the 2003 Istanbul bombings and the 2008 American Consulate attacks, operations carried out by Turkics have gained little attention. The Waziristan-based group Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) seems to be trying to change this (as Jihadica has suggested before). The IJU broke off from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in 2001, and went for a while under the name Islamic Jihad Group. When the name changed in 2005, the group also assumed a new strategy, one...

Multiple people have been reported injured after an explosion in a historic district of Istanbul popular with tourists, Turkish media reported Tuesday. Private NTV television said the explosion in the Sultanahmet neighborhood was close to a park that is home to a landmark obelisk. The state-run Anadolu Agency says several police and medics were sent to the area. Police sealed the area, barring people from approaching in case of a second explosion. Sultanahmet is Istanbul's main sight-seeing area and includes the Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque.

Bin Laden's right-hand man 'instructed' Istanbul bombers Two key suspects in the Istanbul suicide bombings reportedly met with and took instructions from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. Hurriyet newspaper, quoting from the testimony of another suspect, said Habib Aktas and Azad Ekinci met the al-Qaida chief's top surviving lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, several times. The two Turks are suspected of hatching the plans for the November 15 suicide bombings against two synagogues and on the British Consulate and a British bank five days later. A total of 61 people died in the attacks. "They were the only ones to meet with...

<p>Two key suspects in last month's suicide bombings in Istanbul met with and took instructions from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, newspapers reported Tuesday, a day after the government made its strongest statement linking the attackers to al-Qaida.</p> <p>Main suspects Habib Aktas and Azad Ekinci met with bin Laden's top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, several times, Hurriyet newspaper reported, quoting the testimony from another suspect. The two Turks are suspected of planning the Nov. 15 suicide bombings of two synagogues and of the British Consulate and a British bank five days later.</p>

Two key suspects in the series of suicide bombings in Istanbul that killed 61 people met with and took instructions from Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, newspapers reported Tuesday, a day after the government made its strongest statement linking the bombers to al-Qaida. Hurriyet newspaper, quoting from the testimony of one of the suspects, said main suspects Habib Aktas and Azad Ekinci met with bin Laden's top surviving lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, several times. The two Turks are suspected of hatching the plans for the Nov. 15 suicide bombings against two synagogues and on the British Consulate and a British bank...

Istanbul bombers linked to Chechens 27.11.2003 - 19:15 By Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's justice minister has been quoted as saying Chechens and Turks with links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network helped prepare suicide bombs that killed dozens of people in Istanbul this month. Cemil Cicek also said militants who bombed the British consulate and an office of the London-based HSBC bank last Thursday had narrowly evaded a pre-emptive attempt to arrest them after they were alerted to a planned police raid. Ankara has said the November 20 bombing and attacks on two Istanbul synagogues five...

Istanbul, Turkey (AP) - Syria handed over 22 suspects to Turkey on Sunday in connection with four deadly suicide bombings in Istanbul, the semiofficial Anatolia news agency reported. The suspects, all Turks, reportedly fled the country after the attacks, which targeted two synagogues in near-simultaneous bombings Nov. 15 and the British consulate and a British bank in twin attacks five days later. A total of 61 people were killed. Citing a statement from paramilitary police, Anatolia said the suspects included Hilmi Tuglaoglu, a close associate of Azat Ekinci, a central suspect in the blasts. News reports have named Ekinci as...

The devastating suicide bombings in Istanbul last week were planned in an internet café in the remote eastern Turkish town of Bingol and co-ordinated with al-Qa'eda. Turkish police seized equipment from the Bingol internet Merkezi café owned by the family of Gokhan Elaltintas. He is thought to have been one of two suicide bombers who attacked synagogues in Istanbul nine days ago. Police have named Azad Ekinci and Feridun Ugurlu - also from Bingol - as prime suspects in the attack on the British consulate and the HSBC bank offices last Thursday that killed 32 people and injured more than...