Turkey to assume responsibility of detainees in N Syria

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will assume the responsibility of Daesh elements held in detention centers in northern Syria within the scope of Turkey’s newly-launched operation east of the Euphrates, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

In a statement, Hami Aksoy, the ministry spokesman, said Turkey will undertake surveillance of the Daesh elements in detention centers and their families in camps located in the areas to be cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists.

Referring to the detainees in the prisons which are the under control of the SDF -- a major component of which has been the YPG -- Aksoy said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the issue with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump over phone.

Turkey will assume responsibility for the detainees if Turkish military take control of the area where such detention facilities are located.

“We are ready to cooperate with international organizations and countries for rehabilitation of the foreign terrorist fighters spouses and children who were not involved in crime,” he added.

A durable solution could be achieved if foreign terrorist fighters and their families in Syria would be taken back to their countries of origin, will be put on trial and be rehabilitated, he added.

Turkey on Wednesday launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria to secure its borders by eliminating terrorists there and to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants to clear the region east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.