Turkey deports 7 suspects over terror links

By Recep Bilek

SAMSUN, Turkey (AA) – Turkey has deported seven Iraqis back to their country due to their links to the terrorist group Daesh/ISIS, said Turkish security sources on Tuesday.

In an anti-terror operation on the last day of 2019 in the Black Sea province of Samsun, Turkish security forces arrested 20 suspects and sent them to court.

On Tuesday, the court ordered the deportation of seven of the suspects to their countries, following an earlier decision to deport 10 others.

The issue of the handling of Daesh/ISIS members and their families detained in Syria -- including foreign members of the terror group -- has been controversial, with Turkey arguing that foreign-born terrorists should be repatriated to their countries of origin while several European countries have refused, saying the terrorists were denationalized.

However, Ankara has said several European countries resisted its efforts to send Daesh/ISIS members back to their countries, but that it will nevertheless press forward.

Since recognizing Daesh/ISIS as a terror group in 2013, Turkey has been attacked by the group numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.

In response to the attacks, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad, neutralizing 3,500 Daesh/ISIS terrorists and arresting 5,500.

Turkey has so far deported over 7,500 Daesh/ISIS members and there are currently more than 1,100 Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Turkish prisons.

* Writing by Fahri Aksut