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| Europe |
| Militant Islamic Groups Active in Turkey |
| 2003-11-20 |
| A glance at militant Islamic groups active in Turkey: A primer from the AP. And yes, Murat, I know they did not include any of the Kurdish terrorist groups, I guess they are on a seperate list: _ Islamic Great Eastern Raiders-Front, or IBDA-C: The group advocates Islamic rule in this predominantly Muslim but officially secular country and is allegedly backed by Iran. The Anatolia news agency said the group claimed responsibility for Thursday’s deadly attacks on a London-based bank and the British consulate. The IBDA-C also claimed responsibility for deadly Nov. 15 suicide bombings outside two synagogues in Istanbul. Active since the mid-1970’s, the group has become increasingly violent in the last decade and has an estimated 600 followers. The IBDA-C has staged attacks on left-wing and Christian targets. Its leader, Salih Izzet Erdis, also known as Salih Mirzabeyoglu, was captured in 1998. A man calling the Anatolia news agency said that al-Qaida and the IBDA-C, jointly claimed responsibility for todays attacks. Maybe they did, maybe they just wanted credit for them. _ Hezbollah: The Sunni Muslim group is not linked to Lebanon-based Shiite Hezbollah but is also allegedly backed by Iran. It aims to create an Islamic state in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish regions. The group, which has a few thousand followers, is believed to be behind hundreds of killings of opponents in the region. The leader of the group’s most militant wing was killed in a shootout in Istanbul in 2000. Turkey allegedly supported Hezbollah when it was formed in the early 1980s, because it fought autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels. Because the Kurds are not islamic enough or because they wanted autonomy or both? _ Islamic Action: Known for its strong affiliation with Iran, it aims to establish an Islamic state. Its members reportedly received military training in Iran. Authorities believe that the group was behind the killings of a few pro-secular Turkish intellectuals in the early 1990s. _ Beyyiat el-Imam, a little-known group formed in al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan whose name is Arabic for "Allegiance to the Imam," or cleric. The daily newspaper Hurriyet, citing police, reported that six suspects arrested for the Istanbul synagogue attacks were members of this group. The prime suspects in the synagogue blasts. Suspects being "questioned" at length. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 The Iranian muleocracy seems to be quite busy stirring up trouble with its neighbors. May be time to start funding a few anti-mule groups to stir up trouble in Iran. I'm sure there must be SOMEONE that is willing to make nasty with these tired old men and their exhausted ideas. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-20 7:45:43 PM |
| #2 "Because the Kurds are not islamic enough or because they wanted autonomy or both?" Both. Turkey was funding these guys. Kurds (and particularly the PKK) fought against islamic fundamentalism in the area. If it wasn´t for the PKK, you guys would have your own "Afghanistan" with Turkish Talibans in northern (Turkish) Kurdistan. |
| Posted by: Berxwedan 2003-11-20 5:09:17 PM |
| #1 Iran vs a free Kurdish state? Turkey in the middle. Is Turkey looking at Iran as a threat? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-11-20 3:12:43 PM |