THE AUSTRALIAN

No way Neil Prakash will be freed, says Turkey

PAUL MALEY THE AUSTRALIAN 12:00AM June 30, 2017

Turkeys ambassador to Australia, Ahmet Gokdenizler, says it is out of the question that Australian
terror suspect Neil Prakash will be set free, saying the former Melbourne man will likely be extradited to
Australia once Turkish justice has run its course.

Speaking after Prakash fronted a court in Kilis, southern Turkey, Mr Gokdenizler said he could see no
prospect of the Islamic State recruiter and attack planner walking free, despite Prakashs plea that he be
spared extradition to Australia and instead be sent to another Muslim country.

He will potentially be sentenced to a certain period of time due to his crimes, Mr Gokdenizler told The
Australian. After that hell probably be extradited to Australia. Its out of the question hell be released.

Prakash was arrested last November as he tried to cross the border into Turkey using false papers. It was
the end of a long manhunt by Australian and other intelligence agencies, which had tracked Prakashs
movements across Syria and Iraq, tipping off the Turks that he was due to cross.

In May last year the US military announced it had killed Prakash in a bombing raid on Mosul. However,
nursing a wounded arm and accompanied by his wife, he crossed the border in what Australian authorities
believe was an attempt to flee the conflict zone.

After travelling to Syria in 2012 and joining Islamic State, Prakash rose to become one of the most
dangerous Australians on the Syrian battlefield, radicalising young Muslims in Australia and assisting
them in planning their attacks.

His capture has occasioned much speculation about his fate, with Malcolm Turnbull saying he would be
returned to face trial over his alleged involvement in several failed terror plots, as well as his attempts to
recruit for the Islamic cause.

The Prime Minister said Prakash would face a very, very long term of imprisonment, should he be
returned to Australia.

Hes an Australian. He may have thought he was safe over there; he very narrowly escaped being killed,
hes now in a Turkish jail and were seeking to bring him back here to face the music in an Australian
court, Mr Turnbull said last Friday.

However, Turkish authorities have yet to say definitively what they plan to do with Prakash, who crossed
illegally into Turkey and who by his own admission was a member of a terrorist group, both criminal
offences under Turkish law.

Australian authorities have privately expressed frustration at the opacity of the Turkish system and the lack
of clear information coming out of Ankara.

Last week Prakash confessed to being a member of Islamic State and said he did not want to be returned to
Australia, where he faces a string of terrorism charges.

I regret that I have joined Daesh, he said, referring to an acronym for the Arabic translation of Islamic
State.

But I did not commit any crimes, I did not kill anyone.

Mr Gokdenizler stressed he had not been briefed by Ankara on the specifics of Prakashs case but said he
could see no circumstances under which his wish might be granted. Why would he be sent to a Muslim
country? he said. And, again, its speculation, but why would Jordan or Iraq want a certified Daesh
terrorist?