The lawyer for the families of three British teenage girls missing and believed to be in Syria says their whereabouts remains a mystery six weeks after their disappearance and despite the families travelling to Turkey this week.
Mohammed Akunjee told The Irish Times that the families had been communicating with groups inside Syria in an effort to track down the teenagers, but so far had failed to make contact.
“We know they travelled to Urfa [close to the Turkish-Syrian border], after that we don’t yet know,” he said. “Through our own channels we have sent out messages asking for the girls to make contact with their families. At the moment we don’t know if they are even alive.”
The three teens from east London, Shamima Begum (15), Amira Abase (15) and Kadiza Sultana (16) boarded a flight from Gatwick, London, to Istanbul on February 17th, before taking a bus to a town close to the Syrian border.
They are believed to have been assisted in their crossing into Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria and have not been heard of since.
The families have been in Turkey since Sunday and met with Turkish authorities in Ankara on Wednesday.
Travel to Syria
About 600 British citizens are thought to have travelled to Syria to fight with jihadist and Kurdish groups over the past three years, leading to disputes between foreign governments and Turkey, from where the majority of foreigners attempting to travel to Syria have entered.
"The search efforts are ongoing. If we can find them, great. If not, then it is the British authorities who are responsible, not Turkey," Bulent Arinc, Turkey's deputy prime minister, said last month.
Turkish officials say they are unable to detain suspect foreigners from entering the country without first being notified by international intelligence or police authorities.
Mr Akunjee said the UK government had not sufficiently supported the families in their search but police had been helpful. Should the girls make themselves available at the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkish police would expedite proceedings to have them handed over to British police.
Not having carried out an offence, they would not be charged, British officials have said.
The families this week visited the Istanbul bus station from where the girls began an 18-hour trip to the Syrian border. They said they had not had any support from British political parties.
“A better place”
“They are in a better place having come to Turkey,” Mr Akunjee said. “It has been cathartic for them.”
Mr Akunjee also criticised Britain’s approach to discouraging young Muslims from wanting to join Islamic State. “The government strategy to engage with the community isn’t working. The families say these policies are in fact contributing to the problem.”
Turkey has become a magnet for would-be fighters, jihadists and activists since authorities here began an “open- door” policy allowing Syrian refugees fleeing government violence at the outset of the revolt in 2011 to travel unhindered across the border.