Police detain two Syria-bound Dutch nationals
After the deportation of nine British citizens earlier this week, Turkish officials this time took two Dutch nationals of Moroccan origin into custody in the resort town of Alanya on Wednesday.Following a tip off, police units conducted an operation in the Alanya district of Antalya province, and tracked two brothers – aged 24 and 26– who were planning to join the ISIS militant group in neighboring Syria. The two were detained before they could depart for the Syria border, and they reportedly confessed their plans to join ISIS in Syria. After testifying, they were referred to Antalya Police Department's Foreigners' Office for completion of their deportation procedure.Turkish officials, who have requested more support from the West at every opportunity, are counting on more solid steps to be taken to stem the flow of foreign fighters. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had previously said that one of the main problems is that individuals who are deported from Turkey keep returning, and highlighted the refusal of some countries to take the issue seriously. As part of Turkey's efforts, the police force has tightened security at transfer points such as airports, terminals, bus stations and rental car companies via a special risk analysis system, and a team tasked with tracking suspicious foreigners who travel to Turkey for the first time and those who are minors and who do not have a hotel reservation.Those deported were of different origin, with ages ranging from 15-35. The suspected foreigners claimed that the purpose of their travel was work, tourism or visiting friends or relatives, but security forces who had suspicions about the possibility of them joining ISIS sent them back to their countries of departure.
Last Update: April 17, 2015 11:45