Scotland Yard denies Turkish claims over missing schoolgirls, 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.Read More
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.Read More
