Turkey's finance minister implicates states in 'condoning' terrorism financing

Turkish Finance Minister Naci A?bal has praised the efforts of the Turkish National Financial Intelligence Unit (MASAK) and the Banks Association of Turkey (TBB), while criticizing a number of foreign states, without providing names, of "condoning" the financing of terrorism. 

"When we look at practices in other countries that should share our sensitivity [in preventing the financing of terror], [we observe] that they permit a terror organization, which constitutes a vital threat to our country, to engage in fundraising," A?bal said, in his address during a joint TBB/MASAK workshop. 

The minister argued the most effective means of combatting terrorism was to drain terrorist groups' financial resources and underlined this required a concerted global effort. 

"[Terrorism] networks are such that they are not national but global. Hence, the prevention of financing terrorism is a global struggle, not a national one and countries are obliged to fulfill all their responsibilities with regards to this effort," he remarked, stressing Turkey's active role in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body that aims to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. 

In his speech, the minister implicated some countries of providing for "terrorist groups," without providing clear information about the accused states and organizations. 

"Two days ago I was watching the news and coincidentally noticed that a terror organization provided a European bank account number and demanded people to send financial aid," A?bal claimed, explaining he was "saddened" by this situation. 

The minister also said the effort to combat the financing of terror should not be restricted to illegal organizations but should also...