Ankara plans to push for repatriation of European IS fighters and their families to Syria

Levent Kenez/Stockholm

Ankara has announced its intention to push for the repatriation of European prisoners affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as DAESH, using the Arabic acronym) and their family members from camps and prisons in Syria to their country of origin, following the establishment of a new governance structure in the war-torn country. The move aims to transfer responsibility for managing these facilities from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to the new Syrian administration.

By advocating for this transition, Turkey seeks to weaken the SDF, which is mainly composed of members of the People's Protection Units (YPG). Ankara has designated the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization banned in Türkiye and much of the West. The Turkish government views the SDF's control over camps and prisons in northeast Syria as a strategic advantage and aims to eliminate this leverage, which it says strengthens the YPG/PKK's position in the region.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in a live interview with NTV on December 13, said that European countries must take responsibility for repatriating their citizens currently detained in prisons and camps in Syria. Fidan also accused the YPG of exploiting the IS problem to blackmail the international community, saying this tactic has provided the group with undue influence and support.

Fidan stressed the urgent need for international cooperation to address the complex situation in camps and prisons holding individuals affiliated with ISIS.

Thousands of people, including women and children, live in camps affiliated with ISIS. Most of them are Iraqis and Syrians. Iraq and Syria must come together and decide as quickly as possible what to do with these individuals, Fidan said.

He pointed to the infamous Al-Hol camp, which houses a mix of civilians and individuals linked to ISIS, as a crucial problem. Perhaps one of the first steps to take once stability is restored in Damascus is to develop a solution for Al-Hol, particularly as it relates to the Iraqis and Syrians. This is a civilian population and their situation requires an urgent solution.

Fidan also addressed the broader issue of ISIS members from other countries, many of whom are being held in prisons. He emphasized the need for strategic planning: we need to assess what kind of strategies should be implemented for the long-term detention and treatment of these ISIS members. This requires step-by-step, step-by-step planning, and international cooperation is crucial.

He accused Western countries, particularly European ones, of neglecting their responsibilities. Call it hypocrisy or opportunism at its finest. Western countries are using another terrorist organization as a jailer to avoid repatriating their citizens affiliated with ISIS. The role assigned to the PKK here is essentially that of a prison guard. The support they have received so far is largely due to this role. Fidan stressed that this strategy collapsed, leaving European states with no choice but to take back their nationals. Whether there are 10, 20, 30 or 50, European countries must repatriate their fighters and their families. As for the Iraqis and Syrians in the camps, their governments must [also] take responsibility. For others, an international or regional mechanism could be developed, involving a dialogue with the Syrian government to find a solution.

The majority of foreign fighters and their family members held in prisons and camps are citizens of Iraq, Russia, China and Central Asian countries.

Fidan compared Syrian prisons to those at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States detained al-Qaeda militants after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, saying European countries now use Syria as a location for detention of their citizens affiliated with ISIS. in the same way.

According to Amnesty International, thousands of people detained following the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in 2019, they face serious human rights violations and die in large numbers due to inhumane conditions in camps and detention centers in northeastern Syria. Amnesty's new report reveals that more than five years after the supposed temporary defeat of ISIS, tens of thousands of people remain arbitrarily and indefinitely detained in these centers.

An estimated 11,500 men, 14,500 women and 30,000 children are currently detained in at least 27 detention centers and two major camps, Al-Hol and Roj. Amnesty says the United States is involved in many aspects of the detention system where human rights violations continue to be reported. These detainees are reportedly subjected to harsh conditions, including torture, such as severe beatings, use of stressful positions, electric shocks and gender-based violence.

Amnesty emphasizes that the vast majority of detainees are held in violation of international law, without clear legal procedures or justification for their detention. The international community was called upon to take action to address the suffering of these people and to demand accountability for the systemic violations committed in these camps and facilities.

Washington has long pressured European governments to take action and repatriate their citizens, often including the children of ISIS members, to their home countries. The SDF, backed by the United States and led by the Kurdish YPG, has called on Western and other governments to remove its citizens from camps in Syria and prosecute them in their home countries.

European countries have shown little will in this regard, and many fighters who held European citizenship have had their citizenship revoked.

Turkey's main concern, however, is that the YPG gains prestige in Europe by holding ISIS prisoners. Turkey believes this could boost the international reputation of the YPG, despite their designation as a terrorist group.

General Abdi Mazloum, commander-in-chief of the SDF, expressed concerns in an interview with Sky News on December 14 about the growing threat from Turkish-backed rebel groups. He revealed that ongoing clashes with these forces have forced the SDF to suspend its anti-IS operations in Syria, as it is unable to focus on counterterrorism efforts while facing intensified fighting.

Mazloum explained that the suspension of joint operations against ISIS is a result of the military reality on the ground, where the SDF and the US-led coalition are concerned about the escalation of the conflict with the groups supported by Turkey. As a result, ISIS has gained greater freedom to operate, and Mazloum warned that the already volatile situation could lead to escapes from detention camps housing ISIS prisoners.

Mazloum also noted that Turkish-backed forces pose a significant challenge to the SDF, as Turkey views Kurdish groups within the SDF, particularly the YPG, as terrorists linked to the PKK, a separatist group. Mazloum stressed that if clashes with these forces continued, it would play into the hands of ISIS, allowing the group to exploit the chaos and grow stronger.

Ankara exerts strong influence over the new Syrian administration, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which succeeded in overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad on December 8. Using this influence, Turkey hopes to push back YPG and PYD forces in the country. new era. Although this approach puts Ankara at odds with the United States, Turkey is optimistic that developments on the ground could work in its favor.

However, Turkey's record in the fight against ISIS is far from exemplary, especially when it comes to combating foreign fighters. During the rapid expansion of ISIS in Iraq and Syria after 2014, many foreign fighters entered Syria via Turkey. At the time, Turkey directly supported the overthrow of the Assad regime and sought to suppress Kurdish forces, thereby aligning with some of ISIS's broader goals. However, as ISIS was defeated by SDF forces and international pressure intensified, Turkey was forced to adjust its policies.

Turkey's treatment of ISIS-linked detainees at home has also raised international concerns. Critics accuse President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government of pursuing a “revolving door” policy, whereby IS suspects are briefly detained and then released with minimal treatment.

In 2022, Turkey's General Directorate of Migration Management released rare statistics regarding the expulsion of foreign terrorist fighters from the country. Although the leadership did not specify any organizational affiliations, it is widely believed that most of them were jihadist militants who had traveled to Syria to fight.

The statement, issued by the General Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior, included language that appeared to target the US and EU. According to their figures, a total of 9,000 foreign terrorist fighters from 102 countries have been expelled since 2011. Of these, 1,168 fighters came from the United States and EU countries, as part of the country's security efforts. Turkey inside and outside its borders. However, the exact number of 9,000 people deported raises some questions about the accuracy of the statistics.

The leadership clarified that those deported were foreign terrorist fighters who had left their home countries to join groups such as the PKK and ISIS.