Turkey deports four French nationals over terror links

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey deported four terrorists of French nationality back to their home country on Jan. 28, the Interior Ministry announced.

The terrorists were deported as part of Turkey's ramped-up efforts to repatriate foreign terrorist fighters, the ministry said in a written statement.

It did not specify which terror group the fighters belonged to, but in recent months it has been stressing the return of ISIL terrorists.

The issue of the handling of ISIL members and their families detained in Syria -- including foreign members of the terror group -- has been controversial, with Turkey arguing foreign-born terrorists should be returned to their countries of origin.

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

Turkey deported almost 780 foreign terrorist fighters back to their countries of origin in 2019, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said ahead of the new year.