Turkey to deport 7 Daesh, al Qaeda terror suspects

ADANA, Turkey

Seven Syrian nationals -- who were captured in a counter-terror operation in Turkey’s south for their suspected links to Daesh/ISIS and al Qaeda terror groups -- will be deported to their home country, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

According to prosecutors in Adana province, nine suspects were captured on Nov. 8, while two of them were released by a court. It was decided to deport the remaining suspects.

A hunt to arrest one more suspect is underway, the source added.

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 foreign-born terrorists should be repatriated to their countries of origin.

Ankara has said several European countries refused its efforts to send Daesh/ISIS members back to their countries.

Turkey has so far deported 7,500 Daesh/ISIS members, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week, adding that there are currently 1,149 Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Turkish prisons.

Since Turkey recognized Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist group in 2013, the Turkish state has been attacked by the group numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings, and four armed attacks which killed 315 people, including police officers and soldiers, 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.

* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur