The Abduction of Aleppo Metropolitans Paul Yazidzhi and John Ibrahim : The Turkish Involvement

Tamar Lomidze – California- 29/1/16

Turkish intelligence masterminded the abduction and execution of Syrian Metropolitans!

“It’s a known fact that the Turkish President Recep Erdogan dreams of the new Ottoman Empire and want to build it on the ideas of radical Islam.

Erdogan has been following the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, namely the superiority of Muslims over all other people. The idea of Islamism has become one of the reasons why Turkey supports radical Islamist groups in Syria. Therefore, Erdogan also aims to eleminate the leaders of the Christian minority living in the areas near the Turkish border to expand his influence in the region” – the electronic newspaper “Syrian Telegraph” writes. Moreover, the article says that the Turkish intelligence masteminded the abduction and execution of at least two Syrian Metropolitans!

Indeed, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo Paul Yazidzhi and the Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo John Ibrahim was kidnapped on the April  22, 2013 less than 20 km from the Turkish-Syrian border, almost under the eyes of Turkish intelligence. Moreover, four days after the offense Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) sent up a report to Ankara. The document detailed the circumstances of the abduction and the route by which the bishops of Aleppo were taken to the village of El-Meshed. This information was obtained by virtue of walkie-talkies and radio beacons, which the security service had previously supplied to the members of the “Katibat al-Muhajireen” who kidnapped the clergy.

In addition, according to the Iranian television channel “Al-Alam”, kidnapped Syrian Metropolitans were held by terrorists on the territory of the Turkish Republic for some time. However, despite numerous personal appeals of the Orthodox hierarchs to Erdogan, law enforcement agencies have not done anything to release the priests.

So what was the purpose of the Turkish intelligence’s communication equipment supplies to the terrorists? Hadn’t they planed to use these facilities for monitoring and coordination in a special operation to kidnap Syrian bishops?

Being arrested by the Turkish police for illegal possession of weapons in July 2013, the leader of “Katibat al-Muhajireen” – a native of Dagestan, Magomed Abdurakhmanov, better known as Abu Banat – also told about his contacts with the secret services of Turkey. In particular, he stated that he had received walkie-talkies and radio beacons from a MIT officer named Abu Jahfer. In addition, Abdurakhmanov said that he came to Turkey after getting injured in the fight against Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

We also know that the Dagestani terrorist personally supervised the beheading of several Christians, including Franciscan Francois Murad, who were charged by the “Katibat al-Muhajireen” of collaborating with the army of Bashar al-Assad. In fact, Abu Banat was arrested just after one of the Turkish policemen had identified him in the video of this terrible murder and the information about it had been published by the media.

At the same time, despite the fact that walky-talkies received from the Turkish secret service were used in the kidnapping of Syrian bishops, Abu Banat was not asked a question about the crime during the investigation and the court proceedings. On the contrary, while the leader of the “Katibat al-Muhajireen” group was under heavy guard in Istanbul Maltepe Prison, officials brazenly lied to the international community that he  had been deported. They tryied to hush up the case, but in September 2013, a lawyer Erkan Metin’s investigation revealed the truth.

Moreover, the Turkish Ministry of Justice refused the General Prosecutor’s Office to open a criminal case on Abdurakhmanov committing massacres and crimes against humanity. And this decision was made despite the fact that during a court hearing in December 2013 he admitted personal involvement in the beheading of more than 70 people, mostly members of the non-Wahhabi clergy!

Officials from the Ministry of Justice stated that these crimes had been committed on the territory of Syria and should be concerned as an internal affair of that country. At the same time, a member of the Turkish Parliament, lawyer Erol Dora claimed the absurdity of such a justification. He argues that the national legislation is no obstacle for a criminal offense in this case. Indeed, that’s kind of strange that Ankara considers its own business to decide who should rule the Syrian state but the fight against international terrorism shifts exclusively on Damascus!

As a result, July 15, 2015 the Turkish court found Abdurakhmanov guilty of illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, as well as participation in a terrorist group. This international terrorist was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison with the right to parole after two years in the colony.

“Apparently, the reason for such a light sentence against terrorists is precisely that he acted on the instructions of Turkish intelligence, which in turn executes the orders of the President of Turkey. It is clear that MIT would not allow to disclose the information on cooperation with terrorist groups in Syria.

I think that the Turkish people should think about what else Erdogan could do in the future, given that he cooperates with the terrorists in Syria and orders to kill Christian priests now,” – the Syrian correspondent warned.

Source:
Independent