US embassy cable - 04ISTANBUL298

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
TERREP 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, ASEC, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: ISTANBUL COURT HANDS DOWN INDICTMENTS IN BOMBING 
CASE 
 
 
REF: A. 2003 ISTANBUL 1760 
     B. 2003 ISTANBUL 1703 & 1711 
     C. 2003 ISTANBUL 1744 & 1752 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General David Arnett for Reasons 1.5(b&d) 
 
 
1.  (U) Summary: Prosecutors at Istanbul's State Security 
Court on February 25 formally indicted 69 alleged 
conspirators in November's 4 terrorist attacks. 
Approximately 50 of the accused are now in custody.  However, 
a number of key figures, including the alleged leader of the 
Turkish al-Qaida cell, Habip Aktas, remain at large. 
Prosecutors indicated that the case against these individuals 
will be handled separately.  The indictment seeks life 
imprisonment for five of the suspects, and terms ranging from 
4.5 years to 22.5 years for the remainder.  End Summary. 
 
 
2. (U) A Longstanding Plot: Based on what we have learned 
from news sources, the 128-page indictment describes a 
long-standing plot that developed over the course of a year 
and a half.  It suggests that the initial idea came from 
Habip Aktas, who it describes as the head of the "Turkish 
section" of al-Qaida, and asserts that he gained al-Qaida 
approval for his plan to stage attacks in Turkey after 
establishing contact with Al-Misri, head of the military 
branch of al-Qaida.  Initial targets included Incirlik Air 
Force Base and an Israeli vessel in Alanya, but these targets 
were ultimately deemed too difficult.  (Separate press 
reports cite Israeli intelligence officials as stating that 
the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul was also initially 
targeted, but abandoned it as it was also "too hard a 
target.")  The indictment states that the attacks cost 
150,000 USD, two-thirds of which came from al-Qaida members 
in Europe and the remainder from members in Iran.  Two 
indictees, Adnan Ersoz and Baki Yigit, allegedly met with 
Usama Bin Laden in Qandahar before 9/11; others were trained 
in al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
 
 
3. (U)  The indictment notes that members of the al-Qaida 
cell held a "Vahabi-Selefi" (Wahhabi-Salafi) version of 
Islam, which promotes a fundamentalist approach of literal 
interpretation of the Koran, does not consider Turks as 
Muslims and views Turkey itself as a "dar-ul harp" ("house of 
war"), or country against which jihad is legitimate. 
 
 
4. (U) Charges: In the final part of the indictment, the five 
members of the organization's leadership committee (Yusuf 
Polat, Adnan Ersoz, Fevzi Yitiz, Harun Ilhan and Osman Eken) 
are charged with "attempting by force to abolish the 
constitutional system," with a penalty of life imprisonment 
without the possibility of parole.  Two other defendents, 
Metin Ekinci and Suleyman Ugurlu (brother of one of the 
suicide bombers) are charged with "participation in an 
attempt by force to abolish the constitutional system."  They 
face potential sentences of 7.5 to 22.5 years.  Two other 
defendents, Baki Yigit, who claimed to have met Bin Laden, 
and Seyit Ertul, who claimed to be the head of the Konya 
branch of the organization, were charged with "leadership of 
an illegal organization" and face a sentence of 22.5 years. 
45 of the remaining defendents are charged with "membership 
in an illegal organization" and face 15 to 22.5 years, while 
the remaining 15 defendants are charged with "aiding and 
abetting" the organization and face a lesser penalty of 4.5 
to 7.5 years.  The files of Aktas and those of his colleagues 
who are still at large were separated from the files of those 
in custody, and will be pursued separately. 
 
 
5. (U) Post is working with the security court to obtain a 
full text of the indictment and will forward it to Washington 
on receipt. 
 
 
6. (C) Embassy Comment: Sources in the intelligence branch of 
Turkish National Police in Ankara have told us one of the 
problems is a lack of files on an estimated several hundred 
Turks who reportedly received al-Qaida type training in 
Pakistan or Afghanistan.  They say part of the problem was a 
personnel shuffle carried out by the new AK Party government 
which sent experienced police intel officers from Istanbul to 
the provinces and at the same time a quiet policy of easing 
up on preventive measures against various radical Islamist 
groups.  While the indictment implies that the security 
services have the case well in hand, our sources are 
concerned that serious gaps remain in the effort to gain a 
grip on terrorist groups in Turkey. 
 
 
ARNETT