Refugee Edition: In the Prone Position

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 9 June 2017)


                      Living like a refugee... 

In Manavgat district of Antalya, the Gendarmerie got a tip that Syrians
planning to leave Turkey illegally were gathering at a hotel.  When the
Gendarmerie raided the hotel they found the refugees lounging by the
hotel pool as they prepared to travel to southern Cyprus.  In all, 62
Syrians were taken into custody, along with two Syrian organizers and
hotel manager O.E.  The Syrians were taken to a refugee camp in
Mersin.


Manavgat district is east of Antalya city on the Med coast.

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türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk Newspaper, 9 June 2017)


            Everyone! Assume the position!

Afghan-born German citizen Muhammed Hanifi F. came to Istanbul
police three days ago and said that his nephew Z.M. (16) had been
kidnapped.  He told police that "I live in Germany.  My brother, who
is a traffic cop in Afghanistan, called me and told me his son had been
kidnapped, saying the kidnappers wanted a ransom of $200,000."

Police mounted a rescue operation in Esenyurt and arrested Afghans
Muhammed S. and Esmatullah A.  They found Z.M. laying on his
back with his arms bound.  It was evident that Z.M. had been shocked
with electricity.

It turned out that suspect Muhammed S. had worked with Z.M.'s
father in Afghanistan.  A month ago, Z.M.'s father entrusted his son
to Muhammed S., asking him to smuggle his son into Turkey and
deliver him to relatives in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul.

But Muhammed S. then took Z.M. from the house in Zeytinburnu
to a daily-rental house in Esenyurt where he and his cohort Esmatullah
A. tied up Z.M. and tortured him with electricity.  The suspects called
Z.M.'s father and demanded the $200,000 ransom.  Once apprehended
the suspects explained that they planned to "use the money for
Islamic operations. We were going to be suicide bombers." (!)

Muhammed S. added that "I worked with İbrahim (Z.M.'s father) in
Afghanistan.  He treated me badly and he owed me money, too. He
asked me to take his son with me to Turkey and deliver him to his
aunt in Istanbul.  As I said, İbrahim owed me money so that's why
I did it."  A police investigation has revealed that Muhammed S.'s
relative is a senior member of the Taliban (!).  Both he and Esmatullah
A. were taken to jail.