‘Terror con’ claims: Sayet Akca’s mother says he was ‘not the type’

Suspected ‘terror con’ mastermind Sayet Akca’s mother says she in the ‘biggest shock’ over the allegations.

Sayet Akca, with wife Georgia, who is not accused of any wrongdoing. Picture: Facebook

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The mother of suspected “terror con” mastermind Sayet Akca has told of being in the “biggest shock” over the allegations, saying they have not been in contact for two years.

Sema Akca only discovered police believed her son was ­behind a terror caravan plot and a wave of anti-Semitic arson and graffiti attacks in NSW when she was contacted by The Australian on Friday.

She also said she had no idea he was allegedly facing serious drug charges or that he had allegedly fled overseas.

“I haven’t been in touch with him for more than 2½ years, basically,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on. I have no idea, believe me. I had no idea where he was until you just telling me now. Oh my God. I’m in the biggest shock here.”

Asked if her son had anything against Jewish people, she said: “No way, I don’t think so. I don’t believe that. I would never ­believe that myself.

“He wasn’t the type to pick on nationalities or religions or whatever, that’s how we raised them (her two sons).”

She had emigrated from Turkey 55 years ago when she was 10. Mr Akca was “not really” religious, she said. “Not that I’ve seen him do anything for our religion. We’re all Muslims, but we’re not deeply Muslims.”

Mr Akca allegedly appeared on the radar of law enforcement in connection to the Australian Federal Police’s 2021 Operation Ironside sting.

The operation involved the AFP and FBI secretly monitoring criminals’ communications on messaging app AN0M.

Mr Akca was facing a charge of attempting to import a commercial quantity of drugs using the AN0M app, The Daily Telegraph reported. He allegedly hid in a boat to flee the country, and a warrant for his arrest was ­issued in September 2023.

Ms Akca said she had battled cancer for many years, and her son had in recent years been absent and showed a lack of care.

She saw news reports about the caravan “a couple of times, but it didn’t mention my son’s name … I think I heard there were bombs in there.”

Because of her grandson, she stayed in touch with her son’s wife, Georgia, who is not accused of any wrongdoing.

“Why would he get himself in this trouble? That’s what I don’t understand. That’s why I’m in shock,” she said. “No.1, I don’t believe he’ll be involved in anything like that, because he just had a baby (in December 2020). I don’t think he’ll be involved in anything like that to risk his family.

“He must have done something wrong to get out. But I don’t believe putting bombs there, no way.”

He had not been in serious trouble before, to her knowledge.

“No, not at all, not at all. As parents, we gave (her sons) everything they wanted in life. He wasn’t in any trouble with schooling, no troubles at all.

“His dad and I separated. He just went through hard times then, but that’s got nothing to do with what he’s doing now.”