Turkey repatriates 5 foreign terrorists to Germany

ANKARA

Turkey repatriated five foreign terrorist fighters to Germany on Dec. 3, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

"Five foreign terrorist fighters of German nationality were deported to their home country today [on Dec. 3]," the ministry's statement read.

"Extradition of foreign terrorist fighters to their countries continues," the statement added.

The statement did not specify which terror group the fighters belonged to, but in recent months it has been stressing the return of ISIL terrorists.

Ankara has criticized Western countries for refusing to repatriate their citizens who left to join ISIL in Syria and Iraq and has urged them to take responsibility. 

Several European countries have resisted Turkey’s efforts to repatriate ISIL terrorists, but Turkey has vowed to press forward.

Since recognizing ISIL as a terror group in 2013, Turkey has been attacked by terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.

In response to the attacks, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad, neutralizing 3,500 ISIL terrorists and arresting 5,500.