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Syria girls: Turkey complains over UK information | Syria girls: Turkey complains over UK information |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Turkey has accused the UK of taking three days to inform it about the London schoolgirls travelling to Syria, possibly to join Islamic State. | |
Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, travelled to Istanbul a week ago. | Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, travelled to Istanbul a week ago. |
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said officials would have taken "necessary measures" had they known earlier. | Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said officials would have taken "necessary measures" had they known earlier. |
But Scotland Yard has said it began working with Turkish authorities a day after the girls went missing. | |
The girls boarded a Turkish Airlines flight at Gatwick, and would have required a visa to enter the country. | |
'Joint effort' | 'Joint effort' |
Mr Arinc said: "It is a condemnable act for Britain to let three girls... come to Istanbul and then let us know three days later. | Mr Arinc said: "It is a condemnable act for Britain to let three girls... come to Istanbul and then let us know three days later. |
"They haven't taken the necessary measures. The search is ongoing. | "They haven't taken the necessary measures. The search is ongoing. |
"It would be great if we can find them. But if we can't, it is not us who will be responsible, but the British." | "It would be great if we can find them. But if we can't, it is not us who will be responsible, but the British." |
The three girls had been studying for their GCSEs at Bethnal Green Academy in Tower Hamlets. | The three girls had been studying for their GCSEs at Bethnal Green Academy in Tower Hamlets. |
A fourth girl from the school travelled to Syria in December. | A fourth girl from the school travelled to Syria in December. |
Mr Arinc's comments came after UK police officers travelled to Turkey, although their role in the country has not been confirmed. | Mr Arinc's comments came after UK police officers travelled to Turkey, although their role in the country has not been confirmed. |
A Scotland Yard statement said: "Once we established that the girls had travelled to Turkey, police made contact with the foreign liaison officer at the Turkish Embassy in London on Wednesday, 18 February. | |
"Since then we have been working closely with the Turkish authorities who are providing great assistance and support to our investigation." | |
A public appeal for information about the missing girls was launched by police on Friday, three days after the girls boarded their flight to Turkey. | |
'Closer co-operation' | |
Commons Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz said there needed to be "much closer co-operation" with Turkey in tackling the problem of people travelling through the country to Syria and Iraq. | Commons Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz said there needed to be "much closer co-operation" with Turkey in tackling the problem of people travelling through the country to Syria and Iraq. |
Prime Minister David Cameron has also urged airlines and internet companies to do more to prevent radicalised British teenagers travelling to the Middle East. | |
Mr Arinc said: "We have tracked down and banned tentatively 10,000 people who were previously reported to us from entering Turkey on suspicions of terrorist activities. We fulfil our duty. | Mr Arinc said: "We have tracked down and banned tentatively 10,000 people who were previously reported to us from entering Turkey on suspicions of terrorist activities. We fulfil our duty. |
"We believe that there is a need for joint effort and co-ordination in fight against terrorism." | "We believe that there is a need for joint effort and co-ordination in fight against terrorism." |
Security services have already faced criticism after it emerged that, before leaving the UK, Shamima sent a Twitter message to Aqsa Mahmood, who left Glasgow for Syria in 2013 to marry an Islamic State fighter. | Security services have already faced criticism after it emerged that, before leaving the UK, Shamima sent a Twitter message to Aqsa Mahmood, who left Glasgow for Syria in 2013 to marry an Islamic State fighter. |
According to a lawyer for Ms Mahmood's family, her Twitter account has been "monitored" by police since she left Britain. | According to a lawyer for Ms Mahmood's family, her Twitter account has been "monitored" by police since she left Britain. |
He said authorities should have seen Shamima's message and taken action before she and her two friends followed. | He said authorities should have seen Shamima's message and taken action before she and her two friends followed. |
The girls have been described as "straight-A students". Their principal Mark Keary said on Monday there was no evidence they had been radicalised at school. | The girls have been described as "straight-A students". Their principal Mark Keary said on Monday there was no evidence they had been radicalised at school. |
The girls' families have made appeals for them to come home. | The girls' families have made appeals for them to come home. |