Turkey to return jihadists stripped of citizenship: minister
Turkey said Monday it would send jihadist prisoners back to their countries of origin, regardless of whether they had been stripped of citizenship.
Interior Minister Soleyman Soylu said Turkey had nearly 1,200 foreign members of the Islamic State group (IS) in custody, and had captured 287 during its recent operation in northern Syria.
"Of course, those that are in our hands, we will send them back to their countries," he said, according to state news agency Anadolu reported.
"However, the world has devised a new method. They say 'Let's strip them of their citizenship... Let them be tried where they are'.
"It is impossible for us to accept this view... We will send Daesh (IS) members to their countries whether they strip them of their citizenship or not," he added.
It remains unclear whether Turkey will be able to do so in practice.
Western countries have often refused to accept the repatriation of citizens who left to join IS in Syria, and have stripped many of their ...