Turkey begins the process of deporting foreigners accusing them of belonging to "IS"

Turkey begins the process of deporting foreigners accusing them of belonging to "IS"

 Turkey said it had deported three foreigners suspected of belonging to ISIS on Monday and was preparing to deport more than 20 Europeans, including French and Germans, to their countries of origin.

The Turkish Interior Ministry said it had deported an American and a Danish citizen, while Germany confirmed that Ankara had expelled one of its citizens.

Seven other German nationals are due to be deported on Thursday, while at least 11 French nationals, two Irish nationals and at least two other Germans are being deported, the ministry said.

Turkey has criticized Western countries for refusing to reclaim their citizens who have joined the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and revoke citizenship.

Last week, Interior Minister Suleiman Sweilo announced that Turkey had 1,200 ISIS foreigners in its custody and had captured 287 during its recent military operation in northern Syria.

It was not clear whether the deportees were captured this week in Syria or in Turkish territory.

"We are now telling you that we are going to bring them back to you. We will start that Monday," Souilou said.

"It is inevitable. We will send you ISIS operatives. Do whatever you want," he said in a speech in Ankara.

In Berlin, the German government confirmed the transfer of Turkey to the Germans on Monday, and the deportation of seven others Thursday and Monday Friday.

These are three men, five women and two children, according to the same source.

The German Foreign Ministry said it was "not certain yet that they are fighters in the Islamic State".

An official familiar with the dossier said the people Ankara says it intends to deport are "mostly women who have lived in Turkey for a long time or recently arrived in this country."

The 11 deportees will be tried, the official said, adding that discussions are underway to determine whether airport or civilian military authorities will deal with them.

Over the weekend, a French Foreign Ministry source told AFP that jihadists were often returned to France under an agreement with Turkey in 2014 and that it was working well.

"The jihadists and their families are regularly deported to France and arrested on their departure. Most of the time the operation is conducted in secrecy. The news is not published or disclosed later," the source said.

Meanwhile, a Dutch court ruled that the children of women who joined the Islamic State should be repatriated, but their mothers should not be returned.

In Berlin, the German Interior Ministry confirmed that Turkey would expel 10 Germans, including three men, five women (at least two in Syria) and two children.

The ministry said it had "no intention of opposing the return of German citizens" and that authorities were still checking their nationalities and the reasons for their deportation.

Turkey has recently stepped up pressure on Europe to take responsibility for the problem.

"Turkey is not a hotel for ISIS operatives," he said last week.

The move comes after Turkey´s attack last month on northeastern Syria against the YPG, which captured thousands of ISIS operatives and their family members.

Turkey has said it will take over captured jihadists in areas it has seized from the Kurds but has asked for more help from Europe.

It is unclear whether Turkey will be able to return the jihadists whose citizenship has been revoked.

Although under the New York Convention of 1961 it was illegal to revoke citizenship from a person, many countries, including Britain and France, had not ratified it, and recent cases have provoked long legal battles.

Britain stripped more than 100 people of their nationality on suspicion of joining jihadist groups abroad.

Prominent cases, such as the case of British young woman Shamima Begum and Jack Littes, have sparked lengthy court proceedings and a heated political debate in Britain.