Daesh publishes guide to evade Turkish security

ISTANBUL

Daesh has published a 50-page book that gives advice to readers and potential new recruits about how to escape the ever-watchful eyes of Turkish security sources.

The English version of the book titled "Hijrah to the Islamic State [Daesh]" seen by Anadolu Agency was recently published in many countries.

The book gave tips to Daesh members about what steps to take in order to cheat security checks. Among the topics discussed in the book were: “how operatives [can] get through airport security without blowing their cover”; “stories of Arab fighters migrating to Syria”; “two stories of anonymous European foreign fighters”; and “a sister’s Hijrah [migration] story to al-Sham”.

It advised potential recruits to not tell anyone, including their own family members about their plans to join Daesh in Syria. Moreover, the book went on to say that recruits and members should buy tickets for themselves for indirect holiday destinations like Spain or Greece in order to evade suspicions; also, a return ticket as opposed to a one-way ticket might also help in keeping a low profile, it added.

Men were told to not bring any military equipment, including knives or camouflage clothes and were also advised to trim their beards if need be; while women were advised to not wear their hijabs and apply makeup and tattoos if it helped their cause to reach Daesh.

It even gave tips about how to respond to questions from Turkish security authorities and warned them against believing Turkish police and intelligence personnel when they say that they were their friends.

It claimed that security controls at Turkish airports in Ankara, Izmir and Antalya were comparatively lax and advised Daesh supporters to use that route.

While Daesh has released propaganda literature such as this book to help its supporters, Turkish authorities too are on the highest alert and are aware of all such terrorist tactics.

Recently, the Istanbul police increased measures to catch and deport Daesh members trying to enter Syria via Turkey illegally. Turkey’s anti-terrorism branch office has established dedicated interview rooms at Istanbul's airports and inside the city's largest bus terminal.

The rooms were established on May 14, 2014 at the Ataturk Airport, Sabiha Gokcen Airport and Grand Istanbul Bus Terminal. Officials found 550 out of 2,500 foreigners interviewed to be "risky" and deported them.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that Turkey viewed terrorist acts from the PKK and Daesh similarly. Addressing NATO’s Military Committee conference in Istanbul on September 13, Davutoglu said that there should not be “any distinction between different terrorist organizations”, adding that: “We are very upset sometimes when we see some of our allies are making a distinction between Daesh and PKK terrorism.”

ISTANBUL

Daesh has published a 50-page book that gives advice to readers and potential new recruits about how to escape the ever-watchful eyes of Turkish security sources.

The English version of the book titled "Hijrah to the Islamic State [Daesh]" seen by Anadolu Agency was recently published in many countries.

It claimed that security controls at Turkish airports in Ankara, Izmir and Antalya were comparatively lax and advised Daesh supporters to use that route.

While Daesh has released propaganda literature such as this book to help its supporters, Turkish authorities too are on the highest alert and are aware of all such terrorist tactics.