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Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has captured Ahmet Kazanci, a senior Daesh Khorasan Province operative who oversaw the terrorist group's Turkish-language media activities, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Kazanci, who used the aliases Abu Ubeyde and Abu Ibrahim, was identified as the successor to Ozgur Altun, known as Abu Yasir al-Turki, the group's former Turkish media chief who was arrested in Pakistan and brought back to Türkiye, according to the statement.
MIT's investigation found that Kazanci traveled from Türkiye to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and joined Daesh Khorasan, where he underwent training and took part in activities at the group's camps.
Authorities determined that he worked alongside Altun, who allegedly managed the transfer of recruits from Türkiye to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Following Altun's capture, Kazanci took over his responsibilities and continued the organization's media and propaganda activities.
The intelligence agency also found that Kazanci survived airstrikes targeting Daesh elements in Pakistan. He later sought to return to Türkiye through illegal routes and resume organizational activities, according to the findings.
After tracking his movements and activities, MIT launched an operation to intercept him before he could re-establish the group's network in Türkiye.
According to authorities, Kazanci acknowledged his ties to Altun and detailed his activities within Daesh Khorasan during questioning. He admitted receiving armed and religious training within the organization and described his role in the group's media and propaganda apparatus.
Officials said the operation disrupted Daesh plans targeting Türkiye, exposed recruitment efforts linked to the organization and yielded intelligence on planned activities and networks.
Daesh Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) is the Afghanistan-based branch of the Daesh terrorist group and has been active across Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan since 2015.
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