Abdulkadir Masharipov, who confessed to carrying out the Reina nightclub shooting in Istanbul on New Year’s Day, seen after he was arrested by police on early on January 17, 2017. Depo Photos / The Associated Press
Abdulkadir Masharipov, who confessed to carrying out the Reina nightclub shooting in Istanbul on New Year’s Day, seen after he was arrested by police on early on January 17, 2017. Depo Photos / The Associated Press
Abdulkadir Masharipov, who confessed to carrying out the Reina nightclub shooting in Istanbul on New Year’s Day, seen after he was arrested by police on early on January 17, 2017. Depo Photos / The Associated Press
Abdulkadir Masharipov, who confessed to carrying out the Reina nightclub shooting in Istanbul on New Year’s Day, seen after he was arrested by police on early on January 17, 2017. Depo Photos / The As

Trial opens of Istanbul New Year massacre gunman


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An Uzbek citizen who confessed to killing 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub in a New Year gun attack claimed by ISIL goes on trial in Istanbul on Monday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov faces 40 life sentences, one for each of the victims and the massacre itself, when the trial gets under way at the Silivri prison complex outside the centre of Istanbul.

A total of 57 suspects are due to go on trial, including Masharipov's wife Zarina Nurullayeva, who is a suspected accomplice and risks similar penalties to her husband. All but six are being held in custody.

Masharipov was captured alive in a massive police operation and analysts say his evidence in confessions have helped Turkish authorities break up the elaborate network of extremist cells in the city.

He is facing charges ranging from "attempting to destroy constitutional order", "membership of an armed terrorist organisation", to "murdering more than one person".

'Russian extremist gave orders'

After taking a taxi to the elite waterside Reina nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus, Masharipov shot dead the security guard before marching inside and firing indiscriminately with his AK-47 at the terrified revellers and setting off grenades.

With survivors even jumping into the Bosphorus in panic, Masharipov, 34 at the time of the attack, slipped away from the scene as he merged into the crowds, triggering fears he could strike again.

The ISIL extremist group, which at the time controlled swathes of Turkey's neighbours Iraq and Syria, later claimed the attack. It remains the only time it has issued an unequivocal claim for an attack in Turkey.

However, after a 17-day manhunt that involved 2,000 police who watched 7,200 hours of video footage, the Turkish authorities detained Masharipov in the residential Istanbul neighbourhood of Esenyurt.

The living room of a hideout where the attacker of Reina nightclub was caught by Turkish police. Osman Orsal / Reuters
The living room of a hideout where the attacker of Reina nightclub was caught by Turkish police. Osman Orsal / Reuters

Turkish authorities said Masharipov trained in Afghanistan and he confessed to carrying out the attack after receiving orders from the headquarters of ISIL in the Syrian city of Raqqa.

According to the indictment, the order for the attack was given by a senior Russian Syria-based ISIL extremist named Islam Atabiev — code-named Abu Jihad.

Of the 39 killed in the Reina attack, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco who had gone to the club to celebrate New Year. According to the indictment, 79 people were wounded.

Uzbeks implicated in attacks

Masharipov, who used the ISIL code name Abu Mohammed Horasani, was just one of several nationals of the ex-Soviet state of Uzbekistan implicated in attacks this year.

An Uzbek man in October used a truck to mow people down on a New York street, ultimately killing eight according to terror charges. An Uzbek national was arrested after a truck attack in Stockholm in April that killed four people.

The overwhelmingly Muslim Central Asian state was ruled since independence under the tight secular regime of Islam Karimov who clamped down on Islamist dissent and died in September 2016.

The majority of the other suspects on trial are also foreigners, including Uighur Chinese and other nationals of Central Asian states.

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Read more

Istanbul demolishes Reina nightclub targeted by ISIL in New Year

Gunman kills 39 in Istanbul nightclub massacre — in pictures

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Turkey was in 2016 battered by repeated attacks by jihadist and Kurdish extremists. However, there has been no further large-scale attack comparable to the Reina atrocity since.

Istanbul and Ankara remain under the tightest security and the authorities repeatedly claim that major plots have been foiled and hundreds of suspects detained.

Badly damaged in the attack, the Reina nightclub, once the haunt of Istanbul football stars and soap opera icons, was demolished in May on the grounds it had violated local construction legislation.

Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been accused by its Western allies of not doing enough to halt the rise of ISIL.

But the charges are denied by the Turkish authorities, who note the group has been listed as a terror organisation in the country since 2013.

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Racecard
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials

Nutritional yeast

This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.

Seeds

"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."

Umami flavours

"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".

Onions and garlic

"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."

Your grain of choice

Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."

TOUCH RULES

Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.

Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.

Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.

A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.

After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.

At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.

A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5