ZCZC
BFF-19
SYRIA-CONFLICT-TURKEY-FRANCE-DIPLOMACY
Turkey deports 11 French ‘terrorist’ suspects: ministry
ANKARA, Dec 9, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Turkey sent 11 French “foreign terrorist
fighters” back to France on Monday, the Turkish interior ministry said.
“Eleven French citizens have been deported to their home country,” it said
in a statement.
Ankara has lambasted Western countries for refusing to take back their
citizens who left to join the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria and Iraq.
It says it has some 1,200 foreign IS members in custody.
The ministry said last week that 59 “foreign terrorists” have been
deported to their home countries since November 11, when a new deportation
push was started.
Of them, 26 were sent back to the United States and Europe.
“Turkey is no one’s open air prison or hotel,” said ministry spokesman
Ismail Catakli, adding that Turkish authorities would deport all of the
suspects.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1358 hrs