This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31598693
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Syria girls: UK police deny Turkey information delay | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland Yard has denied it took three days to inform Turkey 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 on 17 February. | |
| Turkey's Deputy PM 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. | 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. | 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. | 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." | "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. | 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' | '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. | 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. |