Number of Arrestees Rises to 30 in Atatürk Airport Attack Investigation

Click to read the article in Turkish

17 people more have been taken into custody within the scope of operation as to Atatürk Airport attack, which claimed lives of 45.
The total number has become 30 with the latest arrests.

All of the 17 people six of whom are citizens of Turkey have been arrested on charge of "being member of armed terror organization".

The government officials had announced the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as the perpetrator, however, ISIS is yet to claim responsibility for the attack.

One of them admitted his "affiliation with ISIS"

According to the news on dailies, of the suspects Seyhun Ali A. said in his questioning that he tried to prevent young people in his neighborhood from joining the organization, contrary to charge of organization membership.

Kamil D. claimed he doesn't know Rakim Bulgarov, who has been identified as the suicide attacker.

Of the suspects İsmail A. also refuted the charges saying, "I didn't know that that house wasn't safe, I thought I would read Quran in my room. When police stormed, they told terrorists had stayed there earlier. I was at the house at the wrong time".

Of the suspects, Cengizhan Ç. admitted that he adopts ISIS' ideology and said the following in his testimony:

"I was following them. They have some groups on Facebook which I follow for being Islamic. That is how I've learned of ISIS ideology and believed in what they advocate.

"Then I decided to go to Syria but returned to İstanbul from Şanlıurfa's Akçakale. I did this trip by myself at the begininng of Ramadan.

"I met with Seyhan Ali A., one of the suspects two months ago. He told me that what they (ISIS) do is wrong from Islamic perspective, they kill by drowning and setting [people] on fire, and this is not Islamic. He urged me not to go".

Ahmet D. claimed that the arms, pistol and silencers found in the attic don't belong to them.

The other suspects also denied the accusations. (AS/TK)