ISTANBUL // When a pro-Chechen activist in Ankara opened the door of his office to a visitor one evening last week, he was shot several times from close range by an unknown assailant and died on the spot.
Medet Onlu, a businessman in the Turkish capital, held the unofficial title of "Honorary Consul of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria", the unrecognised rebel government in the Russian region of Chechnya.
He was the latest victim in a series of unsolved killings targeting members of anti-Russia groups in Turkey.
Activists campaigning against Russian policies in the Caucasus say Moscow is behind the crimes.
"It was an assassination in the heart of the country," Ozgur Aktekin, a member of the Caucasus Forum, an association of Chechen and Circassian activists in Turkey, told The National.
Citing footage of surveillance cameras that he said was leaked to the media, he said Onlu's suspected killer boarded a plane to Russia after the murder.
"Russia has committed many crimes, including in Turkey."
Imkander, a group supporting refugees from the Caucasus in Turkey, also issued a statement blaming "Russia and collaborating governments" for the Onlu's death.
A suspected accomplice of the killer has been arrested but the main suspect remains at large, according to news reports.
An estimated five million Turks trace their roots to the Caucasus, parts of which were ruled by the Ottoman Empire before being conquered by Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries.
During two wars that Russia fought against Chechen rebels in the past two decades, several thousand Chechens sought refuge in Turkey, where sympathies for the rebels were strong.
Chechen and pro-Chechen Turkish activists in Turkey made headlines by hijacking a Black Sea ferry in 1996, hijacking a Russian plane in 2001 and by taking hostages in luxury hotels in Istanbul in 2001 and 2002 in protest against Russia's policies.
At the time, Russia accused Turkey of supporting Chechen separatists, a charge Ankara denied.
Mr Aktekin said seven members of anti-Russia groups had been killed in Turkey since 2008, including Onlu, but the Onlu case could prove to be a watershed.
The six previous victims had all been former Chechen rebel commanders, whereas "this time they killed a Turkish citizen", he said. "I would not have thought that they would go that far."
Mr Aktekin and other activists want the Turkish government to raise the issue of the killings with Moscow, but so far Ankara has shown little inclination to do so.
"It is a criminal case for which the investigation continues," a Turkish foreign ministry source told The National in reference to Onlu's killing.
An official at the Russian Embassy in Ankara told The National he was unable to comment on the case because the victim was a Turkish citizen and the police investigation was continuing.
A spokesman for Ramzan Kadyrov, the president of Chechnya, said the Chechen leadership had never heard of Onlu before. He said that any attempt to link his killing with Chechnya was "absolutely illogical", as the victim was a Turkish citizen, according to Reuters.
Hasan Kanbolat, director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (Orsam), a think tank in Ankara, said the Turkish government wanted to wait until the full details of the crime were known.
Turkey is careful not to upset Moscow, a key economic partner. Russia is Turkey's largest supplier of natural gas and a Russian company is building Turkey's first nuclear power plant.
At the same time, Turkey has become a prime destination for Russian tourists, with 3.6 million visiting last year.
Mr Kanbolat said Ankara had so far declined to make the killings of Chechens in Turkey an issue in its relations with Moscow but he said a new situation could arise with the killing of Onlu.
"If it turns out that Russia was behind this, things will change," he said. "Mr Onlu was no Chechen. He was born in Turkey, as were his father and grandfather. It was his great-grandfather who came from the Caucasus."
Mr Aktekin, who took part in a demonstration in front of the Russian consulate in Istanbul two days after Onlu's murder, said he was concerned about his own safety. Like Onlu, Mr Aktekin is a Turkish citizen with ancestral roots in the Caucasus and an anti-Russia campaigner.
"It makes you nervous," he said. "But we will not be intimidated."
At least one Chechen dissident in Istanbul has received official police protection. Enes Kuban Kural was provided with a bodyguard last year after receiving a death threat, according to Amnesty International.
News reports said the suspected killer had first visited Onlu on May 21, the anniversary of the forced eviction in 1864 of hundreds of thousands of Muslim Circassians from the Caucasus by Russian forces.
Onlu was killed on May 22, apparently because he had not been alone during the visit the previous day, the reports said.
"May 21 is an important symbol for all peoples of the northern Caucasus," Mr Kanbolat said.
tseibert@thenational.ae
With additional reporting by Reuters
UPI facts
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
The five pillars of Islam
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
CREW
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Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
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WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
