Turkey reacts to Netherlands over deported ISIL suspects stripped of nationalities

ANKARA

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy has slammed the Dutch government over two women from the Netherlands who were deported by Turkey over ISIL links.

“In the deportation process of foreigners, who were found to be in conflict zones, coordination is established with the country concerned and preliminary notification is given about travel planning,” Aksoy said in a written statement.

The spokesperson said this should have been the case with the Dutch citizens deported to the Netherlands on Nov. 19.

Aksoy criticized the statements against Turkey’s deportation process. “It is also evident that those who claim to have suffered weakness in the fight against DAESH [ISIL] avoid responsibility.”

These people should be taken back to their countries of origin, tried and rehabilitated there, he said.

Dutch Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus and Foreign Minister Stef Blok said in a letter to the Dutch parliament that one of the women who has two children with her had been stripped of her Dutch nationality.

The ministers said they “regret’’ that Turkey decided to send her back despite Dutch requests not to deport her.

The woman was denied entry to the Netherlands and taken into detention when she arrived at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. The other Dutch woman who had traveled to Syria returned to the Netherlands on the same flight. Both face prosecution.

Ankara recently stepped up the return of suspected foreign ISIL members back to their countries of origin.