Turkey has deported 11 French “terrorist fighters” to their home country, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.
The ministry provided no details about the suspects, the allegations against them or if they were linked to the Islamic State extremist group.
It was also not clear where and when the alleged fighters were captured, whether they were taken into custody after Turkey launched its incursion into north-eastern Syria on Oct. 9, or earlier.
Last week, ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli said Turkey had sent back 59 “foreign terrorist fighters” to their home countries since the deportations started on Nov.11.
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While 26 were sent to the U.S. and EU countries, 33 were repatriated to other nations, he said.
So far, Turkey has included children in its deportation tally.
Ankara has made clear that the deportations will continue even if the suspects’ home countries have revoked their citizenship.
“Everyone will go back to their own countries. Turkey is neither an open-air prison nor a hotel for anyone,” Catakli told a news conference last week.