BRUSSELS/ANKARA
Turkey repatriated two foreign terrorist fighters to Belgium on Friday, said the Interior Ministry.
On Twitter, the Turkish ministry said the Belgian nationals were sent back to their countries of origin as part of Turkey’s ramped-up efforts to repatriate foreign terrorist fighters.
The two terrorists, Fatima B. and Rahma B., were jailed in Antwerp upon their arrival in Belgium on late Friday, the Office of Belgian Federal Prosecutor said in a statement.
The statement added that the authorities had issued arrest warrant in default for Fatima B. on May 18, 2015 and for Rahma B. on June 27, 2019, over terror ties.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced on Thursday that 11 French national members of the Daesh/ISIS terror group will be sent back to their countries of origin early December.
“This week we will carry out repatriations to Belgium and Ireland on Friday and Saturday,” Soylu had said.
Several European countries have resisted Turkey’s efforts to repatriate Daesh/ISIS terrorists, but Turkey has vowed to press forward.
Since recognizing Daesh/ISIS as a terror group in 2013, Turkey has been attacked by terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed attacks which killed 315 people 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.
