The Interior Ministry spokesman, Ismail Catakli said on Wednesday that Turkey has deported 59 foreign terrorist fighters to their home countries since November.
Catakli added that 26 others were sent to the U.S and European Union countries, 33 were repatriated to other nations, since the deportations began on November 11.
“Everyone will go back to their own countries. Turkey is neither an open-air prison nor a hotel for anyone.’’
However, he did not specify if all of them were linked to the Islamic State extremist group, nor did he provide details of the allegations against them.
It was also not clear where and when the alleged fighters were captured, whether they were taken into custody after Turkey launched its incursion into north-eastern Syria on Oct. 9, or earlier.
So far, Turkey has included children in its deportation tally. On Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said it had sent back five German foreign terrorist fighters to Germany.
Police in Frankfurt said one of them was a 30-year-old dual German-Syrian national, while the other four were children.
Catakli said 12 more foreign fighters would be returned to their home countries soon, but did not mention their nationalities.
He declined to give the total number of so-called foreign fighters in custody or how many are set for deportation.
State news agency, Anadolu recently reported that 944 foreign fighters from 36 different countries were awaiting deportation in Turkish repatriation centres.
Turkey has made it clear that the deportations would continue even if the suspects’ home countries have revoked their citizenship.
