Suruç Bomber Was Known To Turkish Security Services

Şeyh Abdurrahman Alagöz, the 20 year-old suspected in the ISIS suicide bombing which killed 32 socialist activists in Pirsûs (Suruç) on Monday, was well known to Turkish security services and had ties to Orhan Gönder, the individual accused of carrying out the bombing on an HDP election rally in Diyarbakir on June 5th which killed 4 people – says an article in Özgür Gündem.

According to testimony from Alagöz’s father, Turkish police and intelligence services were entirely aware of the youth’s links to ISIS. In fact Alagöz’s father, Zeynel Abidin Alagöz, had repeatedly reported his son’s suspicious activities to Turkish police and Şeyh Abdurrahman been briefly detained and then released by Turkish security services prior to the bombing.

Şeyh Abdurrahman Alagöz was well known to frequent an Islamic teahouse in Semsûr (Adıyaman) with close links ISIS militants, and was acquainted with with Orhan Gönder, the prime suspect in the June 5th bombing attack on an HDP election rally in Diyarabakır.

Evidence points to a pattern of Turkish state complicity in both attacks. Both men were able to carry out their attacks despite being under state surveillance and the bombing materials and detonation devices used in both attacks suggest a common source.

HDP co-president Selahattin Demirtaş has accused the AKP government and the Turkish state of having responsibility for the Suruç bombing, and has called on HDP supporters to take measures to defend themselves.