Turkey asks states for a list of those likely to cross into Syria

Turkey has asked concerned States to provide his country with the names of people who are likely to cross into Syria in the framework of intelligence exchange, the Anadolu Agency reported the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgiç saying.

“Until now, we have a list of 7,833 people, including 1,056 people who have been deported,” he said.

During a weekly press briefing in Ankara, Bilgiç said Foreign Minister Mouloud Jawish Ihsanoglu will travel to London to participate in a meeting to discuss the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), which is scheduled to include 20 member states of the international coalition led by the US which fights the terrorist group.

Bilgiç said the meeting will discuss military and humanitarian dimensions of the fight and the issue of foreign fighters, as well as the organisation’s funding.

The official renewed his country’s rejection of the European Parliament report issued on 15 January about freedom of expression in Turkey.

Bilgiç said: “We respect the EU’s institutions and we want to keep open communication channels with them however, the decision based on the report includes information from one party.”