PodcastISIS militant deported from Turkey, unwanted by Greece continues waiting in buffer zone
An ISIS militant has been waiting in the buffer zone between Turkey and Greece after being deported by the former and rejected by the latter. The U.S. citizen militant is among the first jihadists that Turkey deported, as the repatriation of ISIS members has become a subject of debate due to the European countries stripping them of their citizenship in order not to take them back.
Duvar English
An ISIS militant deported from Turkey has been waiting in a buffer zone between Turkey and Greece after being unwanted by Greek authorities.
U.S. citizen Muhammad Darwis B., 39, was deported by Turkish authorities from Pazarkule border crossing in the western province of Edirne on Nov. 11.
Following his deportation, the militant decided to enter Greece, which was rejected by Greek authorities.
Darwis spent the night inside a car and continued to wait on Nov. 12.
Turkey began repatriating foreign ISIS militants on Nov. 11.
The repatriation move followed Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu’s remarks last week regarding Turkey being “not a hotel” for foreign ISIS militants.
The minister also slammed the countries for stripping ISIS militants of their citizenship in order not to take them back, while reiterating Turkey’s determination in repatriating the jihadists.
Turkey has repeatedly called on European countries, including France, to take back their citizens fighting for the jihadists.
Europeans comprise a fifth of the around 10,000 ISIS jihadists held captive in Syria by Kurdish militias. Denmark, Germany and Britain have so far revoked some citizenships.
Soylu warned on Nov. 9 that Ankara would begin to send back ISIS militants to their home countries on Nov. 11 even if their citizenships have been revoked.
Turkey has so far deported 7,500 ISIS militants, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last week, adding that there are currently 1,149 ISIS militants in Turkish prisons.
The country launched an offensive into northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia last month following a decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from the region.
The People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main element of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and a U.S. ally against ISIS, has kept thousands of jihadists in jails across northeast Syria.
The Turkish offensive prompted widespread concern over the fate of the prisoners, with Turkey’s Western allies and the SDF warning it could hinder the fight against ISIS and aid its resurgence.
Turkey, which views the YPG as a terrorist group linked with insurgent Kurdish militants on its own soil, has rejected those concerns and vowed to combat Islamic State with its allies.