Six ISIS women, including the wife of one of ISIS’ Turkish leaders Ilhami Bali were released from police custody. One of the women’s names was even on the Police’s suicide bomber list.

E.G., who joined ISIS jihadist group in Syria in 2014 with her husband, brother, mother-in-law and father-in-law, is on trial, at Urfa 2nd High Criminal Court since 18 November 2020. The court decided to release her DW Turkish reported.

It was stated that she was accused of “becoming a member of an armed terrorist organization”. However, the court ruled that “no need to be punished”, claiming that the person was willing to surrender, and that she confessed and identified other members of the organization.

I never see my husband with gun

E.G. was arrested on September 30, 2019. In her statement she explained the reason why she went to Syria.

“My husband said he was going to divorce and take our child”. E.G. also said that her brother Mehmet Kadir Cebael, who was alleged to be the “Leader of ISIS in Gaziantep”, forced her to marry Ahmet Güneş. E.G. also stated that her mother Ülger and father Mehmet Cebael are in the hands of the YPG in Syria’s ROJ Camp. Her other brother Abdulsamet Cebael was also one of the family members who joined ISIS. Ahmet Güneş’s brother, İsmail Güneş, is the perpetrator of the suicide bombing attack on Antep Police Department on May 1, 2016.

She hesitated giving detailed information about the organization of ISIS and the activities of her husband; she claimed that she had never seen her husband with military clothes or a gun.

Red Notice

Ulkar M. code-named “Hacer”, went to Syria with her husband in 2014. She became a confessor and surrounded in Turkey while crossing the Syrian border on October 9, 2021. She benefitted from the effective repentance.

She was in the “blue category” in the list of wanted persons in connection with terrorism of the Ministry of Interior. She was one of the suspects for the suicide bombing in the police department. She was also wanted by Interpol with a red notice.

The first hearing was held on 29 November 2021 at the Adıyaman 2nd High Criminal Court. The Public Prosecutor asked not to benefit from the effective repentance. However, the court ruled that there is no reason for punishment because she “willingly surrendered and gave information about the crimes committed by the organization’s activities”. Ulkar M. was released accordingly.

Trials in Turkey

Journalist Fehim Tastekin had previously told that the trials of the ISIS members are not held in accordance with the law in Turkey.

“ISIS has cells mainly in Ankara but also in many other cities like Konya, Bursa and Istanbul. The militants have come whose families fled to Turkey. The Minister of Interior is always making statements of the numbers of ISIS who have been caught so far, but nothing is said about what happens to them after they are detained. They announce that say 7,000-8,000 ISIS members have been caught, but then they are absolved of all blame, or not tried. The Turkish judicial system has failed badly in this.”