Turkey to return previously detained IS terrorists to countries of origin - minister

By Trend

Turkey will return previously detained terrorists of the 'Islamic State' (IS) group to their countries of origin, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said, Trend reports referring to Turkish media Nov. 4.

Soylu noted that Turkey doesn’t intend to keep these terrorists even if they are deprived of their citizenship.

The interior minister added that 1,200 IS terrorists are being held in Turkish prisons.

Soylu said that during the anti-terrorist Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, the Turkish Armed Forces detained 287 people related to IS, including women and children.

On Oct. 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held six-hour talks in Sochi on the situation in Syria. As a result, they reaffirmed their commitment to Syria’s unity and territorial integrity, ensuring Turkey’s national security and expressed support for the Adana agreement.

Following the talks, a ten-point memorandum of understanding was signed. In particular, starting from 12:00 (GMT +3) on Oct. 23, units of the Russian military police and the Syrian border service were entering the Syrian side of the border with Turkey (outside the Operation Peace Spring zone).

They would facilitate the withdrawal of YPG/PYD units 30 kilometers away from the border, and the withdrawal had to be completed within 150 hours.

Time allotted for the cessation of hostilities during the Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria expired at 12:00 (GMT+3) on Oct. 23.

On Oct. 17, Ankara agreed with Washington to suspend the Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria for 120 hours, so that during this time the YPG/PYD detachments would leave northern Syria.

On Oct. 9, Erdogan announced the beginning of a new military operation in Syria, called Peace Spring.