Turkish nationality safe haven for terrorist financiers

The commercial registry data of a Turkish real estate company recently sanctioned by the US Treasury shows that Jordanian Hisham Yunis Qafisheh is a board member who obtained Turkish citizenship.

Qafisheh, who played an important role in the transfer of Hamas funds and managed several companies on behalf of the Washington-designated terrorist movement, is listed as one of the board members of Turkish real estate investment firm “Trend Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı A.Ş”.

When the company was first established in 2006, three years after Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power in Turkey, it had a different name “Anda Gayrimenkul Geliştirme ve İnşaat”, a limited liability company involved in construction and property development, Qafisheh was one of two partners who owned the company.

There was an interesting notice in the trade registry publication on March 25, 2021. It stated that a correction had been submitted for the company for Qafisheh’s personal data. He apparently assumed the Turkish name “Haşmet Aslan” and obtained a Turkish national identification number, to avoid scrutiny and facilitate travel.

Unlike previous governments in Turkey, the Erdogan’s administration made it easy for foreigners to acquire citizenship if they invested or purchased real estate in Turkey.

This has also helped many Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas elements to quickly acquire Turkish citizenship.

Not only did Muslim Brotherhood operatives, but some members of (ISIS) also obtained Turkish nationality. Such as Marwan M Salih Salih, an Iraqi national who changed his name to Polat Devecioğlu.

Salih, the CEO of a company called “Redin Danışmanlık İç ve Dış Ticaret Limited Şirketi”, a consulting and foreign trade firm that was sanctioned by the US on September 10, 2019, was red flagged for transferring funds to Hamas as well.