Turkish officials have announced the capture of an "emir" of the "Islamic State" and said the group had been plotting to kidnap several politicians. A US report has dubbed Turkey a "major facilitation hub" for the group.
Image: DHA
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Turkish authorities have arrested one of the "Islamic State" militant group's top figures in Turkey, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Mahmut O., dubbed an "emir" of the militant group, was arrested using information obtained from an Istanbul raid conducted last week.
Soylu said police were able to seize "important plans" during the arrest, which included plots to kidnap Turkish politicians and take them to Syria.
The authorities discovered that the suspect was receiving orders from Iraq and Syria after seizing his computer and other "digital material."
Police announced that a further 11 people were arrested in the raids who were under orders to carry out attacks across Turkey.
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'Major facilitation hub'
In a report published last month, US European Command said Turkey remained a "major facilitation hub" for the militant group, noting that it uses the country "in particular to facilitate money movements."
However, the report noted that Turkish security forces have "increased their counter-ISIS activities in Turkey this quarter while improving their security presence along the border with Syria and Iraq."
The "Islamic State" has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Turkey, including an attack on an Istanbul night club during New Year celebrations three years ago that killed 39 people and injured dozens more.
The "Islamic State" rose to notoriety in 2014, when it seized large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, culminating in the occupation of the Iraqi city Mosul. There, its then-leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the creation of a so-called caliphate on territory it occupied.
Since then, international efforts to uproot the militant group have proven militarily successful. Although pockets of the group remain active in parts of the region, its presence is a small fraction of what it was during its peak.
The group, however, has seized on a decrease in counterterrorism measures during the novel coronavirus pandemic in order to galvanize support for its cause, launching a digital blitzkrieg of extremist propaganda to bolster recruitment.
Former 'IsIamic State' militants return home to northern Syria
As Europe, under pressure from US President Donald Trump, seeks solutions to take back its citizens drawn to the "Islamic State" (IS) group, the Shammar tribe in northern Syria is re-integrating former IS members.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
The Shammar tribe
The Shammar tribe's militia, the Al-Sanadid forces, control swathes of land in north-eastern Syria, close to the Iraqi border. Until recently, they were part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and at present the Shammar belong to the Kurdish-led civilian leadership in northern Syria.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Friday prayers
In the compound of Shammar leader Sheikh Humaydi Daham al-Hadi, tribesmen from the surrounding villages attend Friday prayers. Former IS members are also known to be in attendance.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Tribal connections
Former IS members fled the group after hearing the Sheikh’s call to defect. Once accepted by the Sheikh, the detainees are transferred to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), where they are imprisoned and subsequently put on trial. Only then, are they allowed to re-join the tribe.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Tucking in
Guests eat a traditional lamb and rice meal. According to Sheikh Humaydi, the Shammar do not take in former IS fighters. However, the Shammar communications official Abdulhamid Al-Askar contradicted that and claimed Al-Sanadid forces have also incorporated former fighters.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Mediation efforts
In the evening, the Sheikh hosts guests and mediates between local disputes. "This national conflict will end one day, but the religious one will continue," said Sheikh Humaydi. "We have the same goal as the west — the fight against terrorism; now we’re mediating between the former IS fighters, and those who suffered under the group."
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Cross-border tribal network
Shammar tribesmen greet guests from Iraq. "There are those [in Syria] who joined IS only because of pressure from their leaders," said Sheikh Humaydi, "and because we have tribal influence, they come back to us."
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Strict hierarchies
Once they defect, former IS members blend back into the rural and strictly hierarchical society. Shammar leaders, on the other hand, maneuver to position themselves as crucial peacemakers in the region. According to the Sheikh, British and US delegations have recently paid a visit.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Staying incognito
Abu Hassan did not want to reveal his real name for fear of IS reprisals. He claims to have never fought for IS, and only joined the group in 2015 to be able to continue working as a school teacher. "We thought IS would bring justice, as we suffered so much under the [Assad] regime," he said in an interview during which the Sheikh’s son and two Sanadid militiamen were present.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Successful rearguard action
Bandar Humaydi, commander of Al-Sanadid Forces and the son of Sheikh Humeydi, led a successful defense against IS fighters in 2014/15, when their village was almost completely surrounded by advancing IS forces.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Games without frontiers
Shammar youths and under-age Sanadid militiamen play a chaotic game of football; a decrepit train track connecting Syria and Iraq lies abandoned nearby. At present, hundreds of IS members have taken the tribal route out, according to the Sheikh, although the exact numbers are not disclosed.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
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Editor's note: Deutsche Welle follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.
