Fighting against terrorism has been focusing on preventing attacks and solving crimes, in the past. However, changing conditions of the world is also transforming the fight against terrorism into a new concept. In that regard, countries need to seek the confiscation of proceeds of crime. Therefore, countries have to fight against a situation that the flow of illegal money and goods are investigated before underlying terrorist activities. DAESH/ISIS is one of these terrorist organizations have nourished through illegal money transactions, such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and human smuggling. Under these conditions, Turkey is intensely involved in this fight against financing of DAESH/ISIS. Thus, it is important to prevent feeding of terrorist organization.
Turkey has continued its intensive efforts to defeat terrorist organizations both inside and outside its borders. In that regard, DAESH/ISIS has various finance resources ranging from money laundering, drug trafficking to human smuggling. It has distinctive character acting like a state which is directed by small and decentralized networks radicalizing its environment. Under these circumstances, these actors need to fund their attacks and activities representing challenges for neighbor countries and others.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body, is founded in order to prevent funding and money laundering activities of terrorist organizations, one of which is DAESH/ISIS. The FATF conducts policies that define the international standards for combating money laundering which is practiced to provide the integrity of terrorist organization. In other words, it is established through efforts of states who are suffering from terrorist activities to promotion of policies against terrorist organization’s financial systems. It has also regional bodies which are responsible from monitoring illegal activities of terrorist organizations. Under these circumstances, plenty of countries commit to FATF’s series of Recommendations which are “standards and developed strong and comprehensive frameworks for anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism, giving law enforcement and security agencies the tools they need to afford better protection from the ever-evolving threats of money laundering, terrorism and organized crime”[1].
[1] Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Awareness Handbook for Tax Examiners and Tax Auditors. OECD, 10 June 2019. Retrieved from, https://www.oecd.org/tax/crime/money-laundering-and-terrorist-financing-awareness-handbook-for-tax-examiners-and-tax-auditors.pdf
On the one hand, Turkey, as a member of FATF, has a capability to strengthen the system and promote measures taken against money laundering and financing terrorism. On the other hand, the country which has various economic growing sectors and a significant geographic location midst of the transit routes has faced significant money laundering and terrorist financing risks. [1] As it is written on the Executive Summary of Evaluation Report on Turkey, the country is facing the following risks[2]:
- Terrorist organizations and foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) seeking to exploit domestic and cross-border vulnerabilities of Turkey due to its geographic position,
- The activities involving banking, money and value transfer services, including illegal money exchangers, real estate and dealers in precious metals and stones (DPMS),
- Significant number of terrorist attacks targeting Turkey which is the transit routes for FTFs and a destination of returning FTFs of Turkish origin from neighboring conflict zones,
- Various smuggling crimes in Turkey rooted from illegal drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking and fuel smuggling which are mainly committed by terror organizations’ members.
[1] Executive Summary of Evaluation Report Turkey, FATF, 2019. Retrieved from, https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/mer4/Executive-Summary-Mutual-Evaluation-Report-Turkey-2019.pdf
[2] Executive Summary of Evaluation Report Turkey, FATF, 2019. Retrieved from, https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/mer4/Executive-Summary-Mutual-Evaluation-Report-Turkey-2019.pdf
Of those risks, Turkey has been fighting to eliminate terrorist activities and DAESH/ISIS scourge. In order to eradicate this terrorist organization, the country has implemented following policies and taking the following measures[1]:
- Authorizing agenda permits UNSCR 1267 for designations to be transferred,
- Blocking financial accounts of individuals or organizations having a link with terrorism in order to degrade terrorist’s access to material help and funds,
- Preventing transfers among terrorist organization members through detailed detection procedures,
- Actively participating in the international cooperation among states which work in the international platforms ranging from the EU, the UN, the G20, the Financial Actions Task Force (FATF) to the other international institutions aiming to wipe out threat of terrorism targeting countries including Turkey,
- As a country signing and ratifying related conventions, adopting particular UN resolutions (1373, 1390) and amendments on countering terrorism and preventing the financial support of terrorist organizations
- Establishing a strong cooperation mechanism with the private banking sector in order to detect suspicious terrorists and giving a prompt reaction during emergency situation when confidential collaboration with the financial branch is demanded,
- Adopting “Know your customer” policies and procedures which give a chance to the private sector getting more information about the customers,
- Amending the Article 8 of the law no. 3713 which is about the Article 2 of UN Convention for Suppressing of Financing of Terrorism (1999) that “Those who knowingly or willingly provide or collect funds, that they would be entirely or partially used to commit terror crimes, shall be punished as a member of the terrorist organization.”
[1] Uyar, Tolga (2008), Combating Against the Financing of Terrorism in Turkey, ADMD Law Office, Retrieved from http://www.admdlaw.com/combating-against-the-financing-of-terrorism-in-turkey/#.Xn22CS3BJQI.
TURKEY'S FIGHT AGAINST DAESH/ISIL 