Suspected ISIL terrorist deported from Turkey in legal limbo

EDIRNE-Anadolu Agency

A suspected ISIL terrorist in legal and literal limbo on Nov. 13 helps capture some of the chaos sown when Western countries refuse to take back their citizens who fought for terror groups in Syria. 

Muhammad Darwis B., reportedly an American of Jordanian descent, was deported by Turkey on Nov. 11 after being caught in Syria.

But when he proceeded from the Turkish border gate to the adjoining Greek gate, Greek officials refused to let him in -- twice.

This left him in the no-man’s land along the border, adjacent to two countries, but unable to enter either.

Darwis was deported from Turkey’s Pazar Kule border gate in Edirne, northwestern Turkey. His first unsuccessful attempt to enter Greece sent him back to the Turkish side on foot. His second attempt, however, resulted in a stamp on his passport preventing him from entering Greece.

Darwis was allowed to sleep in a car by Turkish border security, provided with food, and sent back to the buffer zone in the morning.

It was not immediately clear why Darwis was sent to Greece rather than the United States.

Turkey’s interior minister on Nov. 9 said Turkey would start extraditing captured ISIL terrorists to their home countries.

The issue of the handling of ISIL members and their families detained in Syria -- including foreign members of the terror group -- has been controversial, with Turkey arguing foreign-born terrorists should be repatriated to their countries of origin.

Ankara has said that it will send ISIL members back to their countries, but several European countries have refused, saying the terrorists were denationalized.