Two papers carry stories that connect Turkish PM Erdogan indirectly with the the al-Qaeda terrorist network through Saudi businessman Yasin al-Qadi.
This chap, al-Qadi was designated by the U.S. to be a “specially designated global terrorist” and was placed under sanctions by the U.N. and the EU as a suspected associate of al-Qaeda.
A bit from Zaman...
"... Turkey may be placed in a difficult position in the international arena as Yasin al-Qadi, a Saudi Arabian businessman who is on the US Treasury Department's “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” list, has entered Turkey multiple times escorted by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's protective detail and without a passport or visa, the Taraf daily reported on Monday. ... "http://www.todayszaman.com/news-335341- ... ports.htmlThis piece from Hurriyet...
"... As the corruption probe against the AKP gets deeper and wider, the content and implications of the investigation are becoming more and more international. After the first wave tackled the Iran-Halkbank-gold triangle, the second wave of the investigation last week focused on Syria and Saudi Arabia to the extent that the domestic aspect of the investigation has become almost a small part of the whole picture.
It was first the Iran angle which gave the ongoing probe its regional character. With the arrest of the CEO of the Turkish state-owned bank Halkbank, the “gas-for gold” trade between Turkey and Iran has come to occupy the center of discussions. Now it seems that the investigation also has a Syria and Saudi Arabia angle. The allegedly al-Qaeda affiliated Saudi businessmen, Yasin al-Qadi, emerged as the main character in the second wave of the graft probe last week. Right after the 9/11 attacks, al-Qadi was designated by the U.S. to be a “specially designated global terrorist” and was placed under sanctions by the U.N. and the EU as a suspected associate of al-Qaeda. He is among 41 suspects who were issued arrest warrants last week. Yet the police refused to comply with the order. Allegedly al-Qadi has engaged in trade with many Turkish businessmen including Prime Minister’s close relatives and his funds and charities have been later used to support al-Qaeda affiliates and other radical Islamist groups operating in Syria like the Nusra Front. ..."http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/asymme ... sCatID=466So boys and girls, don't anyone make the mistake of thinking this story is limited to corruption over some construction permits, to a few shoe-boxes stuffed with petty cash or even to a split between Erdy and Gulen.
It extends to massive sanctions busting of mega-billions with the Turkish Gold for Iranian Oil saga; circumventions that may have created a slush fund to finance some pretty nasty groups in Syria.