Halis Bayancuk, Biography, leader of the predecessor Tevhid Community

Here are some of the key events in Halis Bayancuk’s life:

• Born in Diyarbakir in 1984.
• Father, Haci Bayancuk, is a leader of the political wing of the Kurdish Hezbollah.
• Spends three years in Egypt (2005-2008) where he is educated with the support of the diaspora Kurds in Germany who were tied to the Kurdish Hezbollah.
• Returns to Turkey in 2008 and begins preaching radical views in line with the ideology of al-Qaeda.
• Arrested in 2009 for alleged involvement in the 2008 Istanbul bombings, but released due to lack of evidence.
• Arrested again in 2013 for alleged ties to ISIS, but released after a few months.
• Arrested for a third time in 2017 and charged with “silahlı terör örgütü kurma veya yönetme” (establishing or leading a terrorist organization).
• Convicted and sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison.
• Currently serving his sentence in Silivri Prison.

Bayancuk was born in Diyarbakir in 1984 to a family with a history of involvement in radical Islamist groups. His father, Haci Bayancuk, was a leader of the political wing of the Kurdish Hezbollah and is currently serving a life sentence in prison.

After his father’s arrest in 2005, Halis Bayancuk spent three years in Egypt, where he was educated with the support of the diaspora Kurds in Germany who were tied to the Kurdish Hezbollah. He returned to Turkey in 2008 and began preaching radical views in line with the ideology of al-Qaeda.

In 2009, Bayancuk was arrested for alleged involvement in the 2008 Istanbul bombings, but he was released due to lack of evidence. He was later arrested again in 2013 for alleged ties to ISIS, but he was released again after a few months.

In 2017, Bayancuk was arrested for a third time and charged with “silahlı terör örgütü kurma veya yönetme” (establishing or leading a terrorist organization). He was convicted and sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison. He is currently serving his sentence in Silivri Prison.

Bayancuk is a controversial figure in Turkey. Some people see him as a dangerous extremist, while others see him as a freedom fighter. His supporters argue that he is simply a religious scholar who is exercising his right to free speech.

Regardless of one’s opinion of Bayancuk, there is no doubt that he is a significant figure in the history of radical Islam in Turkey. His story is a reminder of the dangers of extremism and the importance of fighting against it.