Below is a chart covering the Islamic State's Turkish network. It is based on open-source reporting compiled by myself, Noah Blaser (@nblaser18), Aaron Stein (@aaronstein), and Has Avrat (@hasavrat). I uploaded it here to made it easier to read. For any mistakes, updates, corrections, feedback at all, please e-mail me at: northcaucasuscaucus at gmail dot com
UPDATE (25MAR16): Based on a recent interview of a captured Turkish Islamic State fighter, Savas Yidliz (who was originally identified as the Istiklal suicide bomber), I put together a chart of the network he describes as allowing him to carry out the bombing of HDP offices of Adana and Mersin in May 2015. I highlighted Savas Yildiz in the first chart with a red box. The purpose of the second chart is to point out the number of people involved in conducting Yildiz's facilitation into Islamic State-controlled territory and the bombings (which were much less sophisticated than the subsequent bombings in Ankara and Istanbul).
UPDATE (06APR16): I am including some maps of detentions in Turkey of individuals associated with the Islamic State. This includes Turkish citizens, women and children (foreign and Turkish), foreigners who were deported, and also those detained and subsequently released. This last group is sometimes used to criticize the Turkish government, but often unfairly.
These maps were built along with open source data compiled along with Aaron Stein and Noah Blaser. Unfortunately I don't have access to something like ArcGIS or a program that would better display the data. As it stands right now, only locations are highlighted, not the number of detentions per location, nor a comparison of detentions vis arrests. Again - these maps are based on detentions reported in Turkish language media, therefore put that caveat on any conclusions drawn from them. Please do not use these without attribution.
Take aways: The areas with the highest concentrations of detentions are unsurprising to anyone who has been following reporting and analysis of the Islamic State in Turkey:
- In Istanbul and neighboring Kocaeli, particularly the neighborhoods and towns of Ümraniye, Güngören, Bağcılar, Bahçelievler, Pendik, Gaziosmanpaşa, Sultanbeyli, Ataşehir and Başakşehir. Istanbul may be over-represented simply based on it having such a large population and being the most common point of entry for all foreigners arriving in Turkey.
- Izmir, Konya, and Ankara: These three cities appear to each produced their own Turkish Islamic State unit in Syria (see first chart above).
- Adana and Mersin: Adana has produced some Turkish Islamic State members (such as Savas Yildiz analyzed above), but Adana and Mersin together appear to be important transit points for the foreigners, particularly women and children, traveling onward to Gaziantep and then Islamic State-controlled areas in Syria.
- Gaziantep and Kilis: As the only remaining crossing point in Islamic State controlled territory, the highest concentration of detentions took place in the city of Gaziantep and Kilis Province particularly the border towns/villages of Elbeyli, Çobanbey, Çıldıroba, Aşağıbeylerbeyi, Beşiriye (which appears important for re-entering Turkey) and Ermiş.
- Detentions prior to bombing in Suruc (2014-20JUl15): 127
- Detentions between Suruc bombing and Ankara bombing (21JUL15-10OCT15): 410
- Detentions between Ankara bombing and end of year (11OCT15-31DEC15): 573
- Detentions in 2016 (so far - 06APR16): 373
MAP OF DETENTIONS PRIOR TO BOMBING IN SURUC (2014-20JUL15) [TOTAL: 127 DETENTIONS]
MAP OF DETENTIONS BETWEEN SURUC BOMBING AND ANKARA BOMBING (21JUL15-10OCT15) [TOTAL: 410 DETENTIONS]
MAP OF DETENTIONS AFTER ANKARA BOMBING AND END OF 2015 (11OCT15-31DEC15) [TOTAL: 573 DETENTIONS] [NCC note: I know this range is a bit arbitrary. It was due to a technical issue in data tracking)
MAP OF DETENTIONS IN 2016 (01JAN16-25MAR16) [TOTAL: 373 DETENTIONS]
MAP OF ALL DETENTIONS (2014 - 25MAR16) [TOTAL: 1,483 DETENTIONS]
DETAIL VIEW OF ISTANBUL (Lines indicate different locations mentioned all as part of the same operation in the same day)
DETAIL VIEW OF KILIS/GAZIANTEP
