Turkish authorities grant citizenship to members of terrorist groups
Data from the business register of a Turkish real estate company that was recently sanctioned by the US Treasury show that Jordanian Hisham Younis Qafisha, a board member, has obtained Turkish citizenship.
Qafisha played an important role in transferring money to Hamas and ran many companies on behalf of the movement, which Washington classifies as a terrorist organization. He is registered as a board member of the Turkish real estate investment company Trend Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı A.Ş.
When the company was first established in 2006, three years after Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came to power in Turkey, it had a different name: Anda Gayrimenkul Geliştirme ve i̇nşaat, a limited-liability company engaged in construction and real-estate development, and Qafisha was one of two partners that owned the company.
An interesting notice in the Trade Registry Bulletin on March 25, 2021, indicated that a correction to the Qafisha personal data had been provided by changing the name to “Haşmet Aslan” and adding the Turkish national identity number, to avoid scrutiny and facilitate travel.
Unlike previous governments in Turkey, the Erdogan administration made it easier for foreigners to obtain citizenship if they invest or buy property.
This has also helped many Muslim Brotherhood members and elements of Hamas quickly obtain Turkish citizenship.
Some ISIS members have also acquired Turkish citizenship, such as Iraqi Marwan Saleh, who changed his name to Bulat Davyichlou.
Saleh is the CEO of Redin Danışmanlık İç ve Dış Ticaret Limited Şirketi, a foreign trade and consultancy firm that the United States placed on its sanctions list on September 10, 2019, also for transferring money to Hamas.
