TURKEY
Tracking the History of Turkey:
From Precolonial Encounters to Present
Islamic Jihad Union
The Islamic Jihad Union emerged in 2002 after separating from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in Pakistan’s tribal regions, an organization that currently considers itself a part of ISIL. Before the Islamic Jihad Union allied with al-Qaeda in 2004, their attacks in Uzbekistan were relatively unsuccessful. After 2004, the Islamic Jihad Union focused their efforts on Pakistan and Western Europe, specifically Germany.
From March 28 to April 1 of 2004, the IJU bombed Uzbekistan, killing 47 people. In July of that year, the IJU bombed Israeli and US embassies and the Uzbek Prosecutor-General’s office in Uzbekistan, citing their contempt for secular governments. Later in 2005, US CIA director Porter Goss testified to add the Islamic Jihad Union to the State Department’s watch list of terrorist organizations. The UN Security council followed suit and added the IJU to the terrorism list in mid-2005.
The Islamic Jihad Union is based out of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas and is dedicated to overthrow the secular government in Uzbekistan. The organization additionally operates out of Central Asia, Russia, and western Europe. Key figures leading the organization include Taliban leader Akhtar Mansoor and Najmiddin Jalolov, who was killed by a US drone strike in 2009.
From 2007-2008, five men affiliated with the Islamic Jihad Union were arrested in Germany under suspicion of having relations with the organization. Three were suspected of plans to attack the Frankfurt International airport and US military bases and two were suspected of plans to train in Pakistan to fight with the Islamic Jihad Union. In 2015, the Islamic Jihad Union’s website declared to have fighters working closely with the Taliban, al-Qaedam and the Turkistan Islamic Party. Later that year, IJU fighters were documented pledging allegiance to the new leader of the Taliban, Akhtar Mansoor.
Annotated Biblography
Heper, Metin. "Islam and Democracy in Turkey: Toward a reconciliation?."The Middle East Journal (1997): 32-45.
Ismayilov, Fuad. Islamic Jihad Union. Diss. Masarykova univerzita, Fakulta sociálních studií, 2011.10 April 2016. Web.
This is a six chapter thesis by Fuad Ismayilov covering the Islamic Jihad Union from its initial development to present. After a brief discussion of the fundamental understandings of terrorism Ismayilov delves into the “scientific and theoretical” goals of the Islamic Jihad Union, methods used by the organization, and links to other global terrorism organizations.
Kepel, Gilles. Jihad: The trail of political Islam. IB Tauris, 2006.
This book looks at the history and spread of the political-religious phenomenon, as well as what it might look like in the future.
SITE Staff. "Rise of the Islamic Jihad Union." Insight Blog on Terrorism & Extremism. SITE Intel Group, Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
This article identifies the IJU’s transition from a marginal group to a global organization, particularly in 2011. The article uses primary sources from interviews with Ebu Yahya on the organization’s desire to see a change in government in Uzbekistan. The article later cites from interviews with fighters from the Islamic Jihad Union, including a Turk who describes his family’s experiences in Afghanistan and the organization’s dedication to fight.
Steinberg, Guido. "A Turkish al-Qaeda: The Islamic Jihad Union and the Internationalization of Uzbek Jihadism." Center for Contemporary Conflict(2008). 10 April 2016. Web.
This text is from a bi-monthly electronic journal released by the Center for Contemporary Conflict in California focusing on the Islamic Jihad Union – referring to the organization as Turkey’s al-Qaeda. This text follows the Islamic Jihad Union’s attack on American and Afghan troops in early 2008 and offers insight to the historical context of the attack and the group’s split from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
Steinberg, Guido. "The Evolving Threat from Jihadist Terrorism in Turkey."Elcano Newsletter 53 (2009): 10.
This article takes the case study of Turkey and the Islamic Jihad Union to study the trend of terrorism in Turkey. The Islamic Jihad Union integrated from working in Turkey against secular and moderate Muslims to much larger, international networks, and Steinberg’s article studies the effects of other local organizations making this transition.
Wigen, Einar. Islamic Jihad Union: Al-Qaida's Key to the Turkic World?. Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt, 2009. 10 April 2016. Web.
This research identifies the Islamic Jihad Union’s role in transforming Turkey from a relatively marginal nation to pivotal fighters in global terrorism. This change, Wigen argues, is not apparent with the groups split with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, but rather the groups association with al-Qaeda. Wigen argues the group’s guidance under Abu Laith strengthened weaker efforts against the west and since his death, efforts have subsided once more – but a leader with similar motives may push the IJU further against the west.
This resource lists all the names the Islamic Jihad Union is or has been known as and outlines the organization’s peak violence in Uzbekistan in 2005. This resource outlines the organization’s purpose and goals as well as the methods and strategies utilized by the organization to complete their goals.