An American “terrorist fighter” has been deported to the U.S., the Turkish Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry did not provide additional details about the suspect, his alleged crime or specifics on where he was sent.
On Nov. 11, 2019, Turkey started sending back suspected Islamic State fighters to their home countries, with the first one a U.S. national.
As the deportations have continued, the authorities have not specified if all the suspects were linked to the Islamic State extremist group, choosing instead to use the catch-all “foreign terrorist fighters.’’
According to state news agency Anadolu, recently, the Interior Ministry said 150 “foreign terrorist fighters” have been repatriated since November.
They include German, French and Australian suspects, as well as citizens of Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Kosovo, and Morocco.
So far, Turkey has included children in its deportation tally.
The authorities have not clarified where and when the alleged fighters were captured or whether they were taken into custody after Turkey launched its incursion into north-eastern Syria on Oct. 9 2019, or earlier.
“Everyone will go back to their own countries.
“Turkey is neither an open-air prison nor a hotel for anyone,’’ ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli said in December 2019. (dpa/NAN)