Scotland Yard denies Turkish claims over missing schoolgirls

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/24/turkey-uk-missing-london-schoolgirls

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A diplomatic rift has opened up between the UK and Turkey over the three British schoolgirls thought to be heading towards Islamic State-held territory in Syria, with Scotland Yard denying it waited three days before telling Ankara the girls had flown to Istanbul.

Turkey’s deputy PM, Bülent Arinç, said on Monday that Britain only notified Ankara about the missing girls on Friday and described the delay as “condemnable”. He claimed Britain would be partly responsible if authorities failed to find Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15.

The girls, all pupils at Bethnal Green Academy in east London, have been missing for a week after they secretly met up and caught the 12:40pm Turkish Airlines flight from Gatwick airport to Istanbul last Tuesday.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday evening, Arinç said it was an “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”.

However, Scotland Yard hit back on Tuesday morning. The force insisted that it notified the foreign liaison officer at the Turkish embassy in London on Wednesday 18 February – a day after the girls went missing – once it had established the girls had flown to Istanbul.

“Since then we have been working closely with the Turkish authorities who are providing great assistance and support to our investigation,” said a Scotland Yard spokesman.

The dispute threatens to strain diplomatic ties between the two countries at a time when counter-terror authorities in London and Ankara are under pressure to stem the flow of fighters from Britain to join the self-styled Islamic State in Syria (Isis).

British police officers have flown to Turkey but their role in the investigation has not been confirmed.

Shamima and Amira were reported missing to police by their families last Tuesday evening when they failed to return home. Kadiza was reported missing by her family on Wednesday morning.

The girls gave their families false alibis – Amira had told her parents she was going to a wedding – before the teenagers secretly made their way to Gatwick and caught a flight to Istanbul without being stopped.

David Cameron said he was horrified by the girls’ disappearance and said that airlines and internet firms had a responsibility to do more to prevent teenagers travelling to the war-ravaged country.

Theresa May, the home secretary, and Patrick McLoughlin, the transport secretary, are to talk with airlines about introducing “proportionate” measures designed to ensure that children who are at risk are properly identified and questioned.

Thousands of foreigners from more than 80 countries have joined the ranks of Isis and other radical groups in Syria and Iraq, many crossing through Turkey.

Turkey has said it needs more detailed and faster information from western intelligence agencies to intercept them.