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Turk testifies about meeting with Binny
An alleged Turkish al-Qaida militant told a court Monday that he met with Osama bin Laden and a top aide who proposed an attack in Turkey, but denied any involvement in last year's suicide bombings in Istanbul.Baki Yigit told an Istanbul court that he and the suspected mastermind of the suicide bombings, Habib Akdas, met with bin Laden lieutenant Abu Hafs al-Masri in Kandahar, Afghanistan, prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.| "Yup, me 'n' Binny 'n' Abu, we wuz real tight." |
The trio discussed a variety of options for terrorist strikes in Turkey, Yigit testified. Yet when al-Masri first broached the idea of a possible attack in Turkey, Yigit said he and Akdas were opposed, saying they preferred to wage "jihad" like militants in Chechnya.| "Preferably in Chechnya, or at least not in my hometown. Mom might get upset." |
He said al-Masri then suggested an attack on an Israeli ship at a port in the southern Mediterranean town of Alanya. Yigit said the two men considered the idea, but "no decision for an attack was taken as a result of this meeting." He said he and Akdas also discussed the possibility of an attack against a prominent Turkish business group, but this was just a "conversation over tea."| "Just two yentas sitting around talking, y'know?" |
He said that al-Masri offered the men membership in al-Qaida, but they turned down the offer. He said the men also later chatted with bin Laden. "We just talked ... We didn't form any organization," he said.| "That Osama, he's such a kidder!" |
Yigit said he and Akdas separated after a disagreement, and Yigit returned to Turkey. He insisted he had nothing to do with the November 2003 attacks targeting two synagogues, the British Consulate and a London-based bank. Akdas and Gurcan Bac, another alleged cell leader, are believed to have fled to Iraq and joined the Iraqi insurgency, where Akdas was reportedly killed in a U.S. airstrike.An Istanbul court is trying 69 people accused of involvement in the attacks, which killed 60 people. On Monday, 47 suspects appeared in the court. Judges agreed to release two suspects, accused of minor roles in the attacks, before adjourning until Feb. 14.
Posted by: Seafarious 2004-11-22 |
