British ‘ISIS fighter’, 26, is deported from Turkey and arrested on terrorism charges at Heathrow
- Turkey announces it has deported one British and seven German ISIS militants
- A 26-year-old British man was arrested at Heathrow Airport on terror charges
- It comes as American man suspected of being ISIS member is being repatriated
- Mohammad Darwis B in no man’s land between Turkey and Greece for three days
Turkey has today deported a British ISIS fighter back to the UK, along with seven German suspected jihadists.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long complained about European countries not taking their home-grown militants back following the collapse of the so-called caliphate in Syria.
Since Erdogan’s forces invaded northeast Syria to drive Kurds away from the border, Turkey has pushed to deport foreign ISIS militants who are held in its prisons or across the border in Syria.
The Interior Ministry in Ankara did not provide any further details of the deportations today or identify the suspects.
One British-born ISIS militant held in a Turkish prison is Aine Davis, a member of the so-called ‘Beatles’ torture gang that beheading hostages including western journalists and aid workers in Syria.
He is serving seven-and-a-half years after leaving his home in Hammersmith, west London, joining Islamic State.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with President Donald Trump during a joint press conference following their meeting at the White House yesterday. It was announced today that the US would take back its citizen left stuck between Turkey and Greece
ISIS ‘matchmaker’ and recruiter, Tooba Gondal, who has dual British and French citizenship, is also believed to be in Turkish custody.
Although it is thought she is among the 11 French nationals also due to be sent back to France by Turkey.
About 90,000 men, women and children with links to ISIS are being held by Kurdish forces in Syria.
An American man suspected of being a member of ISIS was the first attempted deportation, but he became stranded between the Greek and Turkish borders on Monday.
His is finally being repatriated back to the United States after spending three days in a no man’s land between Turkey and Greece, Turkey’s Interior Ministry confirmed today.
The US agreed to take him in and will provide him with travel documents, the ministry said, adding that the repatriation was underway.
It comes a day after President Erdogan met with President Donald Trump in Washington.
A man identified as a US citizen who has been deported by Turkey and is now stuck in the heavily militarised no-man’s land between Greece and Turkey. He was seen waving towards the Turkish side of the border
The man, identified by Turkish media as 39-year-old Mohammad Darwis B, was stuck in the heavily militarised border zone after Turkey tried to expel him to Greece on but Athens refused him entry.
He is said to be an American citizen of Jordanian background.
The Ministry said today the man had asked to be deported to a ‘third country’ and chose Greece.
He had been spotted in the no man’s land for three straight days. Media reports said Turkish authorities allowed him to spend the night in a vehicle, where he was fed.
The ministry said in a statement: ‘Upon guarantees that he will be taken back by the United States and that travel documents will be procured, the necessary proceedings have been started to send him to the United States.’
Separately the ministry said Turkey was also deporting one British and seven German fighters back to London and Berlin respectively on Thursday.
President Donald Trump speaking as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) listens during a meeting with Republican senators in Washington yesterday
An man who was identified as a US citizen had been deported by Turkey and was stuck in the heavily militarised no-man’s land between Greece and Turkey, after Greece refused to take him in, in Edirne on Monday
Ankara had announced on Monday that the seven German nationals would be deported this week.
Three foreign ISIS suspects – from the United States, Denmark and Germany – were deported on Monday.
The Interior Ministry said Thursday that procedures to expel seven German citizens and one British citizen to their home countries were continuing, without saying when they would deported. Earlier, a ministry spokesman had said seven Germans would be sent home on Thursday.
Turkey also plans to soon deport other alleged IS members, including two Irish and 11 French citizens.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry also said on Thursday that a wanted ISIS suspect was detained by anti-terrorism police in a raid in Istanbul after he illegally crossed into Turkey from Syria.
The ministry said the man, it identified as Mevlut Cuskun, was being questioned by police.
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