With the successful conclusion of the operation to liberate Tabqa, many documents with origins in Turkey have been found in the searches. Among these are books printed and distributed in Turkey, one in particular.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on May 10 that they have completely liberated Tabqa town and the Euphrates Dam after a 50 day long operation. In the operation, the forces came across many weapons and ammunition that were transferred to ISIS gangs from Turkey. Also among the weapons seized by the SDF are NATO-origin weapons that travelled over Turkey.

In the search efforts, it came to light that ideological materials as well as weapons came from Turkey for ISIS. The book titled “Jihad Soldiers on the Path to Martyrdom” written by a Harun İlhan lists Turkey as the place of publication. The publishing house “Küresel Kitap” (“Global Books”) in Istanbul, to be exact. The book was printed in Üsküdar. The publishing house has an address in Fatih, Istanbul and a branch in Ümraniye Bölükbaşı Publishers Bazaar. The author is a proven Al Qaeda member. The book is sold in several websites, unrestricted. The book is in Turkish and also points to ISIS gang elements in Tabqa with origins in Turkey.

The book openly calls for violence and savagery. Harun İlhan was tried for the November 15 and 20, 2003 bomb attacks in Istanbul and was sentenced to life in prison in 2007. He accepted the charges in the hearings and defended violence against non-Muslims. In court, on record, he said, “In this age, there is no other war than the sword against the infidel.”

The book cover also openly calls for violence and savagery: “ (...) The air will smell of gunpowder, barrels will spew death...”

It is significant that books legitimizing ISIS atrocities can still be published legally in Turkey, where the slightest criticism is criminalized and strict oppression prevails. Harun İlhan was sentenced in 2007, but was able to write a book under his own name in 2012 and publish it via Global Books.