Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) are investigating the discovery of Indonesian passports at a house raided by Turkish police in connection with a terror attack at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s Day.

Thirty-nine people were killed by a lone gunman at the Reina nightclub in the early hours of Jan. 1, in an attack claimed by the extremist group Islamic State (IS). Turkey has been a gateway for Southeast Asians heading to Syria or Iraq to join IS, according to Indonesian and Malaysian authorities.

The new investigation in Indonesia unfolded as the U.S. government this week designated an Indonesian militant outfit as a “specially designated global terrorist” and announced financial sanctions on it and two Indonesian nationals.

“Of the various passports found, right now, [they] are being checked by the Turkish security authorities to determine if they are fake or genuine,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said in Jakarta on Tuesday night.

He said 40 people were arrested following a raid by Turkish authorities last week at a house in Izmir that was believed to be linked to the attack. Police seized scores of travel documents including some Indonesian passports, according to news reports.

“No fixed data regarding the found Indonesian passports. The data we received, there are about three or four, but I don’t have the exact number yet,” Arrmanatha told reporters. No Indonesians were arrested following the raid.

BNPT deputy head Arif Darmawan said his organization and the Indonesian embassy in Ankara were investigating the passports.

“Are they real or fake? Again, there has been no confirmation from Turkey and other countries,” Arif told BenarNews.

Full story: BenarNews

Tia Asmara
Jakarta

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