Terror Arrests in Moscow: More Details on the Turkish Connection

As a follow-up to Thursday’s post, the Russian TV news report below provides more extensive information about the recent arrest of members of an ISIS cell in Moscow. The Turkish connection is highlighted in this account — the terror cell is alleged to have provided Turkish passports for ISIS operatives who went back and forth to the Islamic State by crossing through Turkish territory. The report also asserts that Turkey’s security services are intimately involved in ISIS’ terror network.

Many thanks to D@rLin|{ for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Transcript:

00:00   Moscow police are currently questioning 18 suspects
00:03   who allegedly were looking for new recruits for Syrian militants.
00:06   There is a possibility they were also connected to ISIS.
00:09   This is not the first such raid. Reports about potential recruits are coming in from dozens of regions.
00:14   Here are some examples: 22 men were recruited in Adygea’s prison by a man from Central Asia.
00:20   In Astrakhan a Turkish man was arrested. He admitted that in Turkey he received offers to join ISIS.
00:27   Today we received news from Dagestan about a terror act against a track convoy — ISIS is suspected.
00:34   Now let’s hear about the latest developments in our capital.
00:40   How did they find the Moscow recruiters?
00:43   That was a result of long investigation, which as a rule, is hidden from general public.
00:49   Once again we hear about arrests in Moscow.
00:52   18 people were arrested on suspicion of being in contact with ISIS, an organization banned in Russia.
00:58   News about a successful operation by FSB [Security Service] and MVD [Militia] reached us earlier today.
01:04   Right now police are questioning the detainees.
01:08   There are no official comments yet. Allegedly, all men who were arrested
01:11   were busy looking for and recruiting potential members for terrorist groups.
01:17   The raids were made in several Moscow locations at the same time.
01:20   They all lived in rented apartments, almost ten men per room.
01:25   The rooms were practically bare of furniture — migrants’ style: mattresses along the walls.
01:32   All those arrested had Turkish passports. All documents are fake.
01:38   Franz Klinzevitch — Defense and Security commission of the Russian Federation
01:41   Despite the fact that our security services were very active dismantling terrorist organizations,
01:46   which were created many years ago, they still try to organize in Russia,
01:54   and the scale of their operations is impressive.
01:59   Lots of hardware; this requires funds. Even though it is a bit primitive, they tried
02:07   to manufacture false documents, trained people to help legalize foreigners
02:13   and then send the recruits to Syria.
02:19   The fact that Turkey is the main supplier of manpower and funds to the Syrian fighters is not a secret.
02:28   Nearly 100% of those willing to join ISIS, Jabhat Al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations
02:34   go there across the Turkish border. On the Turkish side near the border
02:37   there are many hotels and recovery hospitals
02:40   where the Syrian fighters get medical treatment or relax away from the war.
02:43   Oil, arms and possibly stolen cultural treasures from Palmyra cross the same border.
02:51   Igor Hohlov — IMEMO: It is obvious that ISIS enjoys the full support
02:54   of the Turkish security services, especially if
02:58   their terrorist actions are planned against Russia.
03:05  
03:10   About the fact that arrested had Turkish IDs: it is clear that Turkish security services
03:16   can and do control these people, who are Turkish nationals and have families in Turkey,
03:22   and are in fact security services’ captives.
03:25   It is also easier to control their activities in Russia.
03:32   Today’s raids are an example of the diligent work of the Russian security services.
03:37   They work to prevent terrorist acts planning, since we know that it is virtually impossible to
03:41   stop the terror acts in their final stages.
03:44   Sergey Goncharov: In order to prevent tragedies —
03:47   those terror acts, which cut short the lives of innocents —
03:53   we need the Security Services to carry on their diligent work,
03:59   so that they can stop the terrorist before he blows up — arrest or destroy him if necessary,
04:06   before he activates his Shahid belt.
04:10   This is the most important thing. Without security agents it cannot be done.
04:14   The failures of the security services around the globe tell us
04:18   that gathering good information is crucial.
04:24   The current operation is the biggest one recently but it cannot compare in the level of media attention
04:30   with the story of Varvara Karaulova; a Moscow student who tried go to Syria and was stopped.
04:35   That did not prevent her from trying to contact ISIS, and that’s why she was arrested.
04:39   As results go, today’s arrest of 18 recruiters can be compared to the recent operation where 56 members
04:48   of another banned extremist group, Hizb ut-Tahrir, were arrested in Moscow and its suburbs.
 

6 thoughts on “Terror Arrests in Moscow: More Details on the Turkish Connection

  1. About the fact that arrested had Turkish IDs: it is clear that Turkish security services can and do control these people, who are Turkish nationals and have families in Turkey, and are in fact security services’ captives.

    This passage isn’t clear. Does it mean that Turkish security services “recruit” their nationals – at least the criminal class – and force them to do clandestine work, using their families in Turkey as collateral??

    So would it work out that, say, Turkish criminals serving time in prison who are given their ‘freedom’ in exchange for working as terrorists in other places – Russia being one?

    It would be interesting to know how many may have infiltrated the Gülen movement here in the U.S.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fethullah_G%C3%BClen

    Gülen was an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before 2013. The alliance was destroyed after 2013 corruption investigations in Turkey.[16][17][18][19][20] Erdogan accused Gulen for initiating the investigations as a result of a break in previously friendly relations.[21] He is currently on Turkey’s most-wanted terrorist list and is accused of leading what the current Turkish government calls the Gulenist Terror Organisation (FETO),[22][23] however, there is no single investigation that accuses Gulen group with any kind of violence.[24][25] A Turkish criminal court issued an arrest warrant for Gülen.[26][27] Turkey is demanding the extradition of Gülen from the United States,[28] and he is expected to face a life sentence.[17][29]

    We have done reports on his charter schools here in the U.S. in the past. Here is a more current link:

    http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/

    Nothing much past 2010. This is supposed to be more recent, but doesn’t appear so:

    http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/repression-in-the-name-of-tolerance.html

    Fascinating sidebar, though.

    This fellow, whose nom de blog is “Gulen is a fraud” started on blogspot in 2010, still going strong:

    http://gulencharterschoolsusa.blogspot.com/

    Some good maps.

    Always good to know where various Islamic tyrannies are having their proxy wars. It keeps one from being blind-sided.

  2. I’ve always had the queasy feeling that Erdogan is trying to suck in his NATO allies to support his neo-Ottomanism.

  3. From what has been said recently EU has agreed to lift soon visa requirements for Turks who wish to travel in EU countries.
    We have to get rid of those leaders in the EU and EU countries who betray their population everyday.
    Merkel is the most apparent traitor but there are several others.
    How can it be decided to let enter Turks easily in Europe in a period when terrorism comes through Turkey?
    Also Turkey is not in Europe and should not be part of the EU. An ALENA type treaty with Turkey is largely sufficient.
    Germany should stop to put a mess in Europe.The past leaders of this country are responsible for several wars in Europe…will it continues with Merkel and the persons around her.

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