Sixteen ISIL militants in Turkish prisons

ANKARA

The imprisoned ISIL members include three militants tried in connection to a deadly March 20 attack in the Central Anatolian province of Niğde. DHA Photo

Sixteen members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are currently imprisoned in Turkey and three of them are being tried in connection to a deadly March 20 attack in the Central Anatolian province of Niğde, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has stated.

“The ISIL terror organization members who launched the attack in Ulukışla in Niğde are presently imprisoned in Turkey. They are being held in the Ankara No. 2 F-Type High Security Penal Institution. Their trial is ongoing,” Bozdağ said on Nov. 20, during a lengthy debate on his ministry’s budget as part of the ongoing deliberations on the 2015 Central Governance Budget Law at Parliament’s Planning and Budget Commission.

“As of Nov. 19, 2014, there are 16 ISIL terrorist organization members or individuals who were involved in activities on behalf of [ISIL] in prison,” he added, in response to questions from lawmakers.

Bozdağ stated that he had only recently been given a note on the situation and so did not have any further information on whether there are any Turkish citizens among those imprisoned, or which countries they are from.

Meanwhile, he also reiterated earlier statements by Turkish officials on the controversy created by the release in Turkey of a suspect in the shooting of a right-wing writer and critic of Islam in Denmark.

“As the ministry, it is not possible for us to intervene in this issue,” Bozdağ said.

Previously, the Foreign Ministry said the Turkish government had launched the extradition process of Danish citizen Basil Hassan, but the process continued after his lawyer lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court and Hassan was provisionally released. There is no official record showing he has left Turkey, the ministry said at the time.