Turkish Airlines under fire after teenage girls fly ‘to join jihadists’
Turkish Airlines has come under criticism for failing to notify officials when three teenage girls left the UK to join jihadists in Syria.
Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15, were captured on CCTV at Gatwick airport before boarding a flight to Turkey unchallenged despite being unaccompanied.
The trio, who are now believed to be travelling overland to Syria to marry jihadi fighters, boarded a flight to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, which allows 13-17 year olds to travel alone.
Emily Dyer, a research fellow specialising in Islamism at the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, told the Daily Mail: "The fact that this is still happening shows that security needs to be stepped up. The fact they are so young makes it shocking but it has happened before.
"When three young girls – two only 15 – arrived at the airport without parents and wanted to board a flight to Turkey, which we know is a staging post to Syria, it should have alerted suspicions."
But the airline claims that it cannot share passenger information unless requested to by ‘relevant official authorities’ and that all it is required to check is the validity of visas during check-in.
It added that other security issues before a flight are the responsibility of the airport authorities.
Dr Ali Genc, SVP media relations Turkish Airlines said: "Concerning the recent news referring to our airlines, please kindly be informed that as Turkish Airlines we are not able to furnish to the third parties any personnel/travel information on any of our passengers to respect their legal rights, unless required and legally requested by the relevant official authorities.
"In accordance with IATA and Turkish Airlines company policy, young passengers between the ages of 13 and 18 can travel unaccompanied.
"Turkish Airlines, similar to the other international airlines, has the reponsibility to control the validity of the required visas of its passengers for the international travel during the check-in and boarding at the airports before flight, all the other security issues before flight being under the authority and responsibility of official airport authorities."
Diane
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