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Erdogan: Turkey barred 5,300 potential Syrian fighters

June 25, 2014 at 10:07 am

Turkey is taking all necessary measures to prevent the citizens of other countries from going to Syria to join extremist groups, noting that Turkey has barred 5,300 people from entering its territory, the country’s prime minister said.

In a speech he gave before EU countries’ ambassadors in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there is an attempt to use Turkey as a transit point for foreign fighters seeking to enter Syria. They pose a threat to Turkey “on their arrival” and they would pose another threat to Europe “on their return”.

The Turkish premier said his country is facing a global issue that requires intensive international efforts. The growing presence of extremists in Syria poses a threat to a wide area, including Turkey as well as Syria, he added.