The rise and rapid expansion of the Islamic State (I.S.) since mid-2014 up to date has been concurrent with a notable support from Turkish state circles.
An interesting report by the Columbia University in New York, along with various media reports by the New York Times, CNBC and European media shed light to this seemingly alliance between Ankara and the Jihadists
On the 12th of October 2014, the President of the Turkish opposition political party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, stated publicly that state Turkish trucks carrying aid to Syria, were in fact carrying weapons and directed towards the support of the I.S.
The vice-president of the aforementioned party, Bülent Tezcan, also relayed that the trucks were loaded in the Ankara international airport under the control of the Turkish intelligence service (MIT). They had rockets, explosives and small weaponry.
On October 2014, leaked conversations by the top officials of the Turkish state, including Tayip Erdogan and the head of MT Hakan Fidan, reveal preparations for an invasion in Syria that would be provoked by I.S. actin as "agent provocateurs" on behalf of Ankara. That is a clear sign of a strategic alliance between those two.
On September 2014 it was also revealed that the Saudi national Bender Bin Sultan buys weaponry from the European black market and sends it to Syria for I.S. using Turkish airports. Also weapons this way were sent to the Gaza strip as well.
In June 2014 the Turkish newspaper Radikal, reveals that the interior minister of the country, Muammer Güler has strike a deal with the Jihadists to fight jointly against the Kurdish rebels of the groups, PKK and YPG.
In August 2014 the UK newspaper Daily Mail reveals that the Turkish authorities are actively transferring Jihadists to Syria, coming from EU countries. Also Sky News TV from UK reveals the same and corroborates of high authority behind these developments. Moreover BBC notes down statements by Turkish citizens in the borderlines with Syria claiming to witness transfer of Jihadists by the Turkish state.
In early October 2014, the Egyptian military publicly accuses the Turkish MIT that it provides tactical information to the I.S. Concurrently the Jordanian intelligence service reveals that I.S. commandos are being trained in Turkish territory.
In July 2014, CNN reveals that a branch of I.S. in Turkey operates freely in the country and sends assistance to the Jihadists
In August 2014, Washington Post relays that wounded I.S. fighters are being treated in Turkish state hospitals under the knowledge of the local authorities. Meanwhile the Turkish newspaper Taraf, names specific AKP governing party MP's who are actively assisting I.S. fighters.
On January 2015 the military authorities of Libya state that I.S. fighters who have been injured in Libya, whilst trying to open a front in this country as well, they are being also treated in Turkish hospitals.
In fact the hospital treatment is widespread and takes place mostly in the cities of Şanlıurfa, Denizli, Gaziantep, Hatay. Of course such treatment is reserved only for I.S. fighters and not of any other group in the Syrian conflict.
In parallel since the late 2014, the Iraqi authorities are informing their partners across the world of the details of Turkish involvement on behalf of the I.S. terrorist group in Iraqi territory as well.
In a nutshell, judging from a glimpse of open sources and statements on Turkish involvement in supporting international terrorism in the Middle East, more shocking revelations should be expected.
It would not be unlikely if in the mid-term, leading Turkish officials are prosecuted by the international community on a variety of charges of crimes such as the ones against humanity and support of terrorism, along with money laundering and arms trafficking. There are also a piling set of data concerning organ harvesting, slave trade and smuggling of illegal immigrants, along with heroin, morphine & amphetamine contraband.
Lastly the use of Turkey as the export corridor of the looted crude oil and antiquities by the I.S. is also well documented and relayed across the world media.
Radical Islam Monitor in Southeast Europe