Turkey: 2,764 foreign 'fighters' deported since 2019

Turkish Police in Istanbul, Turkey on 1 January 2017 [Kenzo Tribouillard/IP3/Getty Images]

Turkey has deported a total of 2,764 ‘foreign terrorists fighters’ of 67 different nationalities since 2019, the country’s Interior Ministry announced on Sunday, reported by Anadolu Agency.

In a statement, the ministry said the militants had left their home countries to join ranks of terror groups such as Daesh or PKK/PYD, the Kurdish paramilitary group that the Turkish government considers to be a terrorist entity.

As part of Turkey’s fight against terrorism, 1,595 militants were deported in 2019, followed by 1,019 in 2020 and 150 in the first two-and-a-half months of 2021.

Notably, a total of 224 foreign militants were deported to EU member countries, among them are 66 French, 57 German, 22 Dutch, 14 Swedish and seven Swiss nationals.

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