100 jihadists entering Syria from Turkey each week: Report

“According to the Direction for Military Intelligence [DRM] in Paris, each week, about 100 foreigners continue to cross Turkey into Syria to join Islamic State [ISIL],” Le Figaro reported, citing sources on July 20. 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on July 17 that questions needed to be asked on whether Turkey was a viable partner in the fight against ISIL in Syria and would raise the issue in a coalition meeting in Washington this week. 

The French Defense Ministry did not immediately comment on the report.  

Previously, in a letter published in the New York Times on July 7, Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Serdar Kılıç had rejected the accusations that Turkey allowed foreign fighters to enter the country, en route to Syria. 

Kılıç said that since 2011, Turkey has put more than 50,000 foreigners from 145 countries on its no-entry list, used risk-analysis units at the airports to check more than 11,000 individuals, deported more than 3,600 foreigners from 98 countries and detained more than 5,310 ISIL, Nusra Front, and al-Qaeda-affiliated individuals, taking 1,654 into custody.