Cemil Tekeli
Turkish law lecturer aided Hamas, deported from Israel
Cemil Tekeli, a Turkish national, suspected of helping Hamas members establish themselves in Turkey, while Dara'am Jabarin, an Israeli citizen, suspected of aiding in money laundering and transfer of funds to West Bank for terror activity.
A Turkish law lecturer and an Israeli citizen have been arrested in Israel on suspicion of aiding Hamas terrorists in Turkey, it was cleared for publication on Monday.
Cemil Tekeli, a Turkish national, was arrested in early January. Dara'am Jabarin, an Israeli citizen and resident of Umm al-Fahm, was arrested about three weeks later.
The two were recruited in Turkey by senior Hamas terrorist Zaher Jabarin, who was released in the 2011 Shalit deal. Jabarin is responsible for Hamas' budget and promotes ramified terrorist operations in the West Bank on instruction from Saleh al-Arouri, who serves as deputy Hamas leader and head of its operations in the West Bank.
Cemil Tekeli
Tekeli's interrogation revealed that Turkey contributes to the military strengthening of Hamas via, inter alia, the SADAT company, which was established at the behest of Adnan Basha, an adviser with close ties to Turkish administration officials.
The company was founded to assist—with funds and weapons—the creation of the 'Palestine Army,' the goal of which is to fight Israel.
One of its employees even helped senior Hamas officials attend a 2015 weapons show in Turkey, during which they expressed interest in UAVs.
During Tekeli's interrogation, it became clear Hamas is in direct contact with Turkish authorities via terrorist Jihad Ya'amur, who was involved in the abduction of IDF soldier Nachson Waxman and was released in the Shalit deal.
Deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri, left, meeting with an Iranian official in Beirut
The investigation found that in 2012, Tekeli was asked to help personally and economically establish Hamas terrorists in Turkey. Most of the terrorists in question were released in the Shalit deal and were involved in attacks that claimed Israeli lives.
Tekeli assisted them in obtaining visas that allowed them to stay in Turkey, in purchasing and renting commercial and residential properties, in purchasing luxury vehicles and in registering companies in their names, thus helping their establish their businesses.
The investigation also revealed wide-ranging Hamas activity in money laundering in Turkey on instruction from Zaher Jabarin, while concealing from the authorities the sources of the funds. Hamas members owned the IMES company, which served as a cover for the laundering of millions of US dollars that were then transferred to the Gaza Strip and various countries.
According to the Shin Bet, IMES's importance to Hamas became even more apparent in the interrogation of the second suspect, Dara'am Jabarin.
Dara'am was recruited to Hamas by Zaher Jabarin while visiting Turkey, with the initial contact with Dara'am being done under the cover of IMES commercial activity.
Dara'am Jabarin
Dara'am visited Turkey frequently over the next 18 months and was asked by his handlers to transfer Hamas funds from Turkey to the West Bank.
His handlers in Turkey gave him hundreds of thousands of euros for Hamas's military infrastructure. He hid the funds in various secret locations in the West Bank. A search of his home uncovered 91,000 euros, which were due to be transferred to the West Bank.
The investigation revealed that Dara'am's activities were carried out at the behest of Zaher Jabarin and his chief aide Salameh Mar'i, whom Tekeli had helped establish in Turkey. Mar'i was also released in the Shalit deal and had been involved in a March 1993 terrorist attack near Burkin in which an IDF soldier was murdered.
Salameh Mar'i
As part of the investigation, additional suspects—residents of Umm al-Fahm who had assisted Dara'am—were also detained.
Cemil Tekeli was deported from Israel upon the conclusion of his interrogation. Dara'am Jabarin is due to go on trial in the coming days.
"The findings of the investigation underscore the fact that Hamas's ramified economic and military activity in Turkey takes place unhindered as Turkish officials turn a blind eye and—on occasion—encourage it, and with the assistance of Turkish nationals, some of whom are close to the government," the Shin Bet said in a statement.
"This activity relies, inter alia, on business platforms that serve Hamas in laundering funds that are transferred to Judea and Samaria and used in recruiting Israelis to its ranks."
