Turkey to take back citizens among Daesh detainees transferred from Syria as Iraq pushes for global repatriation
Iraq has announced that Turkey has agreed to take back its citizens who are among thousands of Daesh detainees recently transferred from Syria.
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein confirmed the agreement on Monday during a meeting with US envoy Tom Barrack, saying Baghdad is also in talks with other countries to repatriate their nationals.
Detainees Transferred From Syria
The detainees were moved to Iraq in an operation coordinated with the United States after Kurdish forces in Syria retreated and shut down camps and prisons that had held suspected Daesh members for nearly a decade.
The sudden closure of these facilities followed a Syrian government offensive that led to the collapse of Kurdish security control in the region. As a result, Iraq stepped in to manage the growing security and humanitarian crisis.
Iraq to Prosecute Terror Suspects
Baghdad has stated it will try the suspects under terrorism charges within its own legal system. However, Iraqi officials have repeatedly urged other nations to take responsibility for their citizens captured during the conflict.
In a separate address to the UN Human Rights Council, Hussein called on countries worldwide to recover their nationals linked to extremist activities.
“We call on states across the world to recover their citizens who have been involved in terrorist acts so they can be tried in their countries of origin,” he said.
Growing Urgency Over Foreign Fighters
The future of suspected Daesh fighters, along with thousands of women and children associated with the group, has become increasingly urgent.
At its peak between 2014 and 2017, Daesh controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria under a self-declared caliphate. The group governed millions and attracted thousands of foreign fighters before its territorial rule collapsed following military campaigns by regional forces and a US-led coalition.
With detention systems in Syria dismantled, the issue of Daesh detainees and foreign fighter repatriation is once again at the center of regional and international security discussions.
Source: Arab News