Istanbul nightclub gunman’s wife tells cops they moved to Turkey for work and she only knew of atrocity when she saw news on TV
The couple had flown to Turkish capital Ankara together on 29 November before suspect disappeared last week
THE wife of Istanbul's terror attack prime suspect claims she knew nothing about the murderous plot - despite travelling with him to Turkey.
Turkish police believe a well-trained gunman from central Asia, who had learnt how to fight in the Syrian war, is behind the attack that left 39 dead.
And details today emerged about how he travelled to Turkey from his homeland with his wife and two kids in November.
She has denied prior knowledge of her on-the-run husband's alleged loyalty to ISIS, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.
They are understood to have arrived in Turkish capital Ankara on November 20 before moving onto the city of Konya.
There they rented a flat for £250-a-month.
The alleged gunman is believed to have told his wife he was going away in search of work on Thursday.
She told police how she only learned of the attack on TV two days later.
related stories
The reports come as the number of arrests over the atrocity rose to 14, with all being questioned in Istanbul.
An ISIS fanatic wreaked havoc inside the Reina nightclub on New Year's night, spraying some 120 bullets from his Kalashnikov before disappearing into the night.
He is believed to have used devastating armour-piercing bullets inside the club to cause maximum casualties.
A witness told Turkish newspaper Hurriyet that the gunman had used flash grenades to disorientate victims before picking them off calmly with several magazines of ammunition.
A barman told the newspaper: "The terrorist threw something that lit up every time he finished his magazine. It happened at least three times."
The devastated remains of the nightclub were today pictured three days on from the tragedy.
ISIS claimed the attack on Monday, the first time it has clearly stated being behind a major attack in Turkey.
Hurriyet's well-connected columnist Abdulkadir Selvi said the attacker had been identified, with investigators focusing on the idea he was from Central Asia.
He said he had been trained in street fighting in residential areas in Syria and used these techniques in the attack, shooting from the hip rather than as a sniper.
The attacker had been "specially selected" to carry out the shooting, he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday that the authorities had obtained fingerprint data about the attacker and expressed hope he would be "speedily" identified.
Selvi wrote the priority now was to detain the assailant and neutralise the cell that apparently backed him, in order to prevent any new attack.
"This specially trained terrorist has still not been detained and is still wandering dangerously amongst us," he wrote.
He said that an IS attack was also planned in Ankara on New Year's night but that it had been prevented after eight IS suspects were arrested in the city. There were no further details.
In a separate report, HaberTurk daily said the attacker had arrived in Istanbul from the southern city of Konya with a woman and two children "so as not to attract attention".
A man believed to be the killer recorded a sick selfie video before the murderous rampage.
Heartbreaking details of victims emerged today, including a young fashion designer and a Bollywood director.
Thirty nine people died in the shooting, with 70 others injured.
The victims included citizens of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq, France, Tunisia, India, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Canada, Israel, Syria, Belgium, Germany and Russia.