BABY BOY BORN IN TURKEY AMONGST THOSE DEPORTED TO TRINIDAD.

Azard Ali and Corey Connelly Sunday, April 30, 2017

Reposted from newsday.cott

A FOUR-MONTH-OLD boy born in Turkey and a two-year-old boy were among the 12 nationals who returned home from the embattled Middle East country on Friday.

Since last August, they were detained under guard by Turkish authorities who investigated why they were in the country, before finally deporting them.

The baby, named Jacob, was born in late December. His mother was five-months pregnant when she left Trinidad with her husband and nine others to travel to the Middle East. Efforts by Sunday Newsday yesterday to contact the baby’s parents were unsuccessful, but it was confirmed by immigration sources at Piarco International Airport, that the family endured almost seven hours of questioning by Special Branch officers along with the other deportees.

According to immigration records, eight of the 12 are Aneesha Aqueelah, 29; Attiyah Salima Nikkah, 17; Khalilah Asma Mohammed, 12, Ashaki Tyana Samuel, 20; Jameel Jaleel, 19; Sherite Cassie Mohammed, 32; Abdullah Zubayr, two, and baby Jacob.

Initially, the group of 11 left Trinidad, last June, and travelled to several countries before arriving in Turkey, two months later.

They became caught up in an attempted coup after which thousands of people were detained on suspicion of links to United States-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. They were held along the Turkish border which heightened suspicions by security agencies that they were en route to Syria to fight for the terrorist organisation, ISIS.

Their detention led to debate in Parliament as to whether Government would find out why they were in Turkey and, if, they were threats to national security on their return home.

Immigration sources confirmed that apart from routine immigration questions, the nationals were subjected to intense interrogation by Special Branch who asked about the countries they had travelled to in the Middle East and their eventual stop in Turkey.

Spokesman for the group, Umar Abdullah, head of the Islamic Front, told Sunday Newsday yesterday a public statement would be issued by the group but did not say when, neither would he disclose where they were staying.

He insisted, however, they had not gone to the Middle East to join ISIS and had stopped in Turkey on their way to Morocco.

“They have since been resting and do not wish to speak to the media. A statement will soon be released from them,” Abdullah said.

However, he said the group arrived shortly before 4 pm, on Friday, and did not leave a room in the airport where they were assembled until about 10.30 pm.

Reports indicate some were questioned for a longer time. Sunday Newsday approached on family seen waiting at the airport but they declined to be interviewed despite several attempts.

“They were questioned by Special Branch officers and subjected to hours of questioning, but at this time as the local security agencies continue their probe about these families, it would be unfair to disclose where they are currently residing. I have been in communication with these families and I can say, none of them pose any threat to the country as it is untrue that they went to join ISIS,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah, who intervened earlier this month to mediate in gang rivalry in Enterprise between Unruly ISIS and Rasta City, said those he had spoke to denied they attempted to cross the Turkish border into Syria. He said he found out that they were taken to a refugee camp and kept under guard and described their life there as “a terrible ordeal”.

Abdullah said he began his own queries when he heard the group had been detained, and insisted they were not charged with any offence.

“I had tried to get as much information from Trinidad, as to what was happening with them in Turkey.

I want to say that the Turkish authorities double-checked the information we provided and their were no charges against them. As soon as they were able to confirm what we were saying, the authorities agreed to release our nationals.” Honorary Consul General in TT for Turkey, Michael Ilanos, yesterday said he was aware of the return of the 12, but said the matter was one for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Security and not the consulate.

Told that a baby born in Turkey was among the group and asked whether there were immigration concerns, Ilanos said, “As far as I am aware, this is a matter which the consulate cannot address at this time. It would be a matter for the Turkish consulate in Istanbul for Trinidad and Tobago. I suggest you address him on that issue and the issue regarding the returning nationals.” Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi yesterday confirmed the deportees were returned by the Turkish government, via the United Kingdom.

He said the inter-agency coordination to manage the process involved customs, immigration and special intelligence agencies.

“That exercise was well-coordinated yesterday (Friday) between 4 pm and 10.30 on Friday night. Several agencies went into operation and interviews were conducted. The persons were released and there are continuing inquiries flowing from that particular interaction,” he said yesterday.

Al-Rawi said the agencies with law enforcement responsibility will continue to guide the process.

“The Government’s purpose is of course to ensure coordination of resources. There is a careful line that any one government has to walk because politicians are not law enforcement persons.” Al-Rawi said his office had direct statutory supervision of anti- terrorism matters, “and we, of course, are doing what we need to do in respect of the work which will come to our attention.” “But suffice it to say that this is an ongoing event which is receiving careful and planned coordination.” But Abdullah wants Al-Rawi and local officials to tell the truth about the circumstances of the group’s detention, and clear any concerns that they are terrorists.

“Given the information being spread in the media and the utterances of our officials as regards to this matter, they need to come clear and tell the nation the truth because I happen to know that they had given a number of explanations in the past that just does not make sense. They are saying today that they only received that information (of the deportation) hours before our nationals were returned.” Abdullah countered that local authorities had information on the 12 long before their return.

He recalled that on one occasion, Al-Rawi was quoted as saying that the numbers on the passports the nationals had in Turkey did not correspond with those on their passports in TT.

“So, how did he have that information if he was not in communication with the Turkish authorities?” Abdullah asked.

“There was a back and forth between our agencies here and their counterparts in Turkey. So, what I am saying is that those utterances are totally untrue and you need to be honest and absolutely clear with the population of Trinidad and Tobago regarding this information that is being given to us now and it shows clearly that there is a lot to be said and a lot to be done regarding nationals returning to Trinidad from foreign countries with respect to how they are treated.” While thankful for the efforts that the national security and foreign affairs ministries would have made for their return, Abdullah found the lengthy interrogation process “very troubling”.

“This is the same situation with the TT nationals who were detained in Venezuela when they came back here.” Those Muslims were held in the South American country for national security reasons.

Abdullah said he learnt from airport officials that deportees from other faiths, who have committed crimes, are returned on a regular basis “and before you could say Jack Robinson, they outside.” “Muslims have to go through an ordeal when they come into the country and they have not committed any crimes,” he insisted.

“That is just a lot of misinformation that is being given to the public.”