07:51, 10 June 2020

Turlaev reveals goal of his work for Kadyrov

Shaa Turlaev. Screenshot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9iH2wYTHa8

Shaa Turlaev, the former security chief of Aslan Maskhadov, President of Ichkeria, who was wanted on suspicion of involvement in high-profile killings and attempts, claims to have contributed to the return of hundreds of participants in the Chechen War to their homeland.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 7, the "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen State TV and Radio Company) posted an interview with Shaa Turlaev.

Shaa Turlaev, also known as "Gray-Haired", was one of the key figures of the Chechen separatists during the first and second Chechen military campaigns. In 2004, he surrendered under the guarantees of Ramzan Kadyrov and was amnestied. In March 2018, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov made public a video from the village of Benoi with Shaa Turlaev and called him "the best of the best." While commenting on the meeting, Djambulat Umarov, Chechen Minister of National Policy, emphasized that Shaa Turlaev "returned to civilian life," "repented," and became an example for young people.

In his interview, Shaa Turlaev told Said-Magomed Bashirov, a political observer of the Company, that Ramzan Kadyrov had offered him to emigrate. "I replied: 'Ramzan, can I stay at home?' – 'Of course you can'. I went [to war] not in order to run around Europe," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has translated Turlaev as saying.

In his interview, Turlaev condemned the supporters of Ichkeria staying in Europe, who criticize the today's Chechen authorities.

He also said that he was engaged in the return of former militants from other countries – in particular, of 12 people from Azerbaijan.

According to Turlaev, he was also involved in the return of former militants from Belgium, Turkey, Egypt and other countries. About 200 people were returned from Europe alone; and about 100 from Turkey, he said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 9, 2020 at 08:57 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: CK correspondents