Turkey to ‘return’ Isis members

Interior Minister criticises nations for revoking citizenship

Turkey says it will send Isis (Islamic State) members back to their countries of origin.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said members of the extremist group held by Turkey would be returned regardless of countries revoking their citizenship.

Turkey has accused the Syrian Kurdish forces it is fighting in northeastern Syria of releasing Isis families from camps last month. There has been widespread international concern that thousands of Isis detainees in Syria could escape.

Soylu said about 1200 foreign Isis fighters were in Turkish prisons and 287 members, including women and children, were re-captured during Turkey’s offensive in Syria.

The minister has previously said foreign Isis members in Syria would be taken to prisons or camps operated by Turkey-backed Syrian fighters in so-called safe zones in northern Syria, including in Jarablus, al-Bab, Azaz and Afrin. Turkey cleared those areas of Isis and Syrian Kurdish fighters, which it deems terrorists, in two previous operations.

He said more fighters were held in deportation centres in Turkey.

He hit back at Western nations, including Britain and the Netherlands, for not repatriating their citizens who joined Isis or revoking their citizenship. He said “we are not a hotel” for any country’s Isis members.

Meanwhile, Turkey says it has captured the elder sister of the slain Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. A senior Turkish official called the arrest an intelligence “gold mine”. The official said 65-year-old Rasmiya Awad, who was captured in northwestern Syria, is suspected of being affiliated with Isis.