Two men on trial for bombings in Turkey that killed more than 60 people last year have told an Istanbul court that al-Qaeda helped the attackers. One of the men, Harun Ilhan, described himself as an "al-Qaeda warrior" and said the "holy war" would continue. Another suspect stated that Osama bin Laden's network had smuggled $150,000 into Turkey to support the bombers. A total of 69 men are being tried in connection with the November bombing of UK and Jewish targets in Istanbul. Nine of the suspects appeared in court on Monday to testify for the first time.
The man suspected of heading the cell, Habib Akdas, was reported to have been killed in Iraq last week, during a US raid. Ilhan told the court that he was one of the leaders of the groups that carried out the attack, and said he was a "proud member" of al-Qaeda. He also said that while Osama bin Laden was mortal, jihad - or holy war - was "eternal". In a more sober testimony another defendant denied any direct involvement in the attacks. Adnan Ersoz said he was in Iran at the time and the news of the Istanbul suicide bombings caught him by surprise. However, he added that Akdas later told him that his group had received $150,000 from al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria and Iran. Although the bombers had developed ties with Osama bin Laden's network, they could not be described as an al-Qaeda cell.
