Ex-Daesh ringleader Baghdadi's wife, sister and brother in law captured in Syria: Erdoğan

Turkey has captured a wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, more than a week after the former Daesh/ISIS leader killed himself during a raid by U.S. special forces.

"The United States said Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel. They started a communication campaign about this," Erdoğan said in a speech at Ankara University. "But, I am announcing it here for the first time: We captured his wife and didn't make a fuss like them. Similarly, we also captured his sister and brother in law in Syria."

A senior Turkish official said earlier this week that Turkey had captured Baghdadi's sister, her husband and daughter.

Erdoğan described a terrorist as a person who sheds the blood of innocent people without blinking eyes for own perverted goal.

"[...] No one should use the term 'Islamic terror'. We have often told this to western leaders at international meetings and we will keep reminding them," he said.

Erdoğan stressed that the enemies of Islam use religion to spread terrorism.

He drew attention to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) that orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

"If you want to see what FETO really is, look at where the ringleaders live [...]," he said, referring to FETO's U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen.

Since Turkey recognized Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist group in 2013, Turkey has been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings, and four armed attacks which killed 315 people, including police officers and soldiers, and injured hundreds.

In response to these attacks, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad, neutralizing 3,500 Daesh/ISIS terrorists and arresting 5,500.