The police had carried out an operation against Islamic State in August in three districts of İstanbul. In the operation 5 suspects had been taken into custody, only 1 of whom had been arrested.
İstanbul’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office reached details about one suspect; Abdulsamet Ç. Flags, pictures, videos, and marches about IS were found in his mobile phone. To a question about one of IS’s marches, for instance, Ç. answered that he liked the sound. Searching his house, the police also found a banned book named “44 Ways of Supporting Jihad”. The investigation concluded on him as follows: “The suspect maintained his contact with an armed terrorist organization, IS, and in this sense committed the crime of being a member of the organization…”
According to his statement, he joined the IS in 2014. Following the instructions from a militant code-named “Ammar”, he first went to Turkey’s city of Gaziantep. Then, he went to Jarabulus, and arrived in Manbij, where he received religious education. He then passed on to Tal Afar district of Mosul, and he started to work at a hospital of IS there. He injured his leg during an air raid, and underwent a treatment in the hospital where he worked.
Afterwards, he went to Al-Bab, which was under IS’s control, and contacting his family in İstanbul, he surrendered to the Turkish Army, entering Turkey through the city of Kilis. After he returned to İstanbul, he kept his “contact” with the organization.
Abdulsamet Ç., who was arrested on September 2 for being a member of a terrorist organization, was released with a juridical control decision on December 2. The court legitimated this decision by suggesting that the suspect had a “fixed residence”, and put forward the “present situation of the case”. The court also requested information on IS activity from the National Intelligence Organization.
On the other hand, even the suspect’s attorney was surprised that his client was released. Remarking that he was extremely surprised, he stated: “I believe his health conditions and sincere statements had an influence on his release.”
