Turkey will send captured Daesh (the so-called IS) members back to their countries even if their citizenship has been revoked, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Monday, criticizing the approach of European countries on the issue. Turkey launched an offensive into northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia last month following a decision by US President Donald Trump to withdraw troops from the region. The move prompted widespread concern over the fate of Daesh prisoners in the region. The YPG is the main element of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been a leading US ally in beating back Daesh in the region, and has kept thousands of militants in jails across northeastern Syria. The United States and Turkey's Western allies have said Ankara's offensive could hinder the fight against Daesh and aid its resurgence. Turkey, which views the YPG as a terrorist group linked with insurgent Kurdish militants on its own soil, has rejected those concerns and vowed to combat Daesh with its allies. It has repeatedly called on European countries to take back their citizens fighting for the militants. Speaking to reporters, Soylu said Turkey would send back any captured Daesh fighters to their countries even if their citizenship is revoked. "We will send back those in our hands, but the world has come up with a new method now: revoking their citizenship," Soylu said. "They are saying they should be tried where they have been caught. This is a new form of international law, I guess." "It is not possible to accept this. We will send back Daesh members in our hands to their own countries whether they revoke their citizenship or not," he said. Soylu had warned at the weekend that Turkey would send back Daesh members captured by Turkey to their home countries and complained of European inaction on the matter. The United States said last month that it had killed Daeshs leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in northwestern Syria, where Turkey and Russia have troops. While Baghdadi's death was hailed by world leaders, including Turkey, the group has vowed revenge against the United States. — Reuters
