ANKARA - One of the main suspects in the October 10 Ankara Massacre, Ömer Deniz Dündar, is hiding in Turkish-controlled Idlib Province where he is working for an Isis-affiliated media organisation, court papers have revealed.

A statement from Isis provincial commander Kasım Güler claimed that the fugitive, who is accused of plotting the deadly terror attack in which 109 people were killed, is being sheltered there and is employed to spread messages of hate by Isis propaganda outfit Idrak Media.

According to the case file the remaining defendants, Ahmet Güneş, Mustafa Dokumacı and Ulkar M were released a short time after being detained in relation to the bombing.

At the request of the lawyers, the statement of Isis commander and informant Kasım Güler, who was said to have been captured by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in June last year, has been added to the file.

At the request of the lawyers, the statement of Isis commander and informant Kasım Güler, who was said to have been captured by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in June last year, has been added to the file.

Güler's statement revealed that fugitive defendant Ömer Deniz Dündar, was an active member of the jihadist terror group. He claimed that Mustafa Dokumacı, was killed in 2020 while leaving his house in the Semrede district of Syria’s northern Idlib province.

After Dokumacı’s death three employees of Idrak Medya - Azeri national Abu Adem, Abdurrahman (K) and Abdulmelik (K) from Antep - helped Dündar and his family escape from Konya in Turkey and cross into Syria.

Dündar was then appointed as the Emir of Mektebi Faruk, and Isis leader who controls 6-7 provinces according to the statement.

Güler said, “After 3-5 months, the delegation of Tarir al-Sham [an al Qaeda-affiliated rival jihadist group] identified these people and raided their homes. Ömer Deniz Dündar was not caught because he was at his father-in-law's house that night.

“Ömer Deniz Dündar settled in a place near Idlib, and the activities of Idrak Medya came to an end as he was left alone. A person of Arabic origin, whose name I do not know, was assigned to him. As this person did not fully fulfill his duty, Ömer from Urfa took his place.”

İlke Işık, from the October 10 Ankara Massacre Lawyer Commission, said that October 10 was a massacre they have been tracking for 6 and a half years, Işık stated that together with the fugitives on trial, Isis has become a file they are tracking. Işık said, “It is a process where we constantly try to find something, want something and struggle to get it.”

İlke Işık, from the October 10 Ankara Massacre Lawyer Commission, said that October 10 was a massacre they have been investigating for 6 and a half years, Işık stated that together with the fugitives on trial, their investigations have also focused on Isis. Işık said, “It is a process where we constantly try to find something, want something and struggle to get it.”

Güler’s statement shows that Isis is still a living entity, the lawyer said, adding that the fugitive defendants continue to gain strength the longer they remain free.

“We have been saying this since the very beginning of the trial of the fugitives. At the stage we have reached, 16 fugitives are on trial, but we have been asking questions from the beginning, where are they, what is the state doing to find them, what kind of effort is the Ankara 4th High Criminal Court making for this? Many of our requests in this regard are being rejected.”

Despite information that three of the defendants are in  no action has been taken for two years, Işık said.

“We have seen very clearly from Kasım Güler's statement that this did not happen. In our file, Nusret Yılmaz seems to be an ordinary member of the organisation [Isis], so a lawsuit was filed.

“But Kasım Güler says, 'He was the governor of Turkey, he was in a very important position.' He says that for Ahmet Güneş, one of the defendants in the file, he was a part of the Turkish governor's team and was the manager.

“He says that Ömer Deniz Dündar, one of the fugitive defendants, whom we know to be one of the bombers, is currently in a very active and important role for Isis.

“Güler's statements show that unless these ISIS members, who are the suspects of the Ankara Massacre, are caught, everyone is in danger. As a matter of fact, we know that most of them are now fugitives because they were not caught before."

Işık said that Kasım Güler's trial will begin at the Ankara 20th High Criminal Court, adding that they will hear his statement at the hearing and call him as a witness.

Lawyers now have access to a lot of new information, including women from Isis who they have heard as witnesses in the trial.

“They [the defendants or the women?] worked in Syria for years. After ISIS was defeated, they had to come to Turkey. In fact, there is no break with ISIS. These are all free,” Işık declared.

“We requested that Ulkar M. be called as a witness. When we made the request, we received information that she was in prison, but we understood from the court correspondence that she only stayed in prison for 20-25 days and was released like other women.

“We don't know if this trial will happen. Because we have no information about what kind of life he [who?] lived in Turkey. If Mustafa Dokumacı's wife comes, she is an important witness, " Işık said.

She added that they have many issues that need to be clarified, and demand the arrest of the defendants and for their connections with each other to be exposed.

Işık said that the Ankara Massacre was not limited to those who lost their lives and their families, but was a concern for the world.

“There is still information about Isis. There are those who are still planning something, things that need to be prevented. Concrete measures must be taken so that everyone is safe. This trial is very important for everyone's safety. We know that as ISIS lost in Syria, it came to Turkey,” she said.

“On the one hand, there are still ongoing [Isis] structures and among them are the defendants in this case. They did terrible things in 2015. We are talking about five massacres that took place in Turkey.

“For this reason, the massacre trials are very important for the safety of everyone in the country and even in the world.,” Işık continued.

“We want this massacre to be clarified. At the stage we have reached, we want all the defendants to be found, caught and tried. That's why it's very important to follow the case, and that's what we're trying to do."