Iraq assumes custody of 2K Turkish ISIS nationals

Shafaq News- Ankara/ Baghdad

Around 2,000 Turkish citizens are among 7,000 ISIS members scheduled for transfer from Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prisons in Syria to Iraq, the Turkish newspaper Kisa Dalga reported on Wednesday, noting that the operation is coordinated between Baghdad, Ankara, and Washington.

According to the newspaper, Turkish authorities have verified detainees’ identities through fingerprinting and interviews, though some may have concealed their nationality, indicating the number of Turkish citizens could be higher. Notable detainees include Ilyas Aydin, known as “Abu Ubaida” and described as ISIS’s “Emir of Istanbul,” wanted for the 2015 Ankara train station bombing, along with Ilhami Bali and Deniz Buyuk Celebi.

Iraqi authorities have opened investigations into the first arrivals, committing to uphold national and international legal standards. Ankara has also requested that its nationals, after trials in Iraq, be returned to Turkish prisons to complete sentences or face retrial under Turkish law.

The transfers follow recent clashes in northeastern Syria between the Kurdish-led SDF and Damascus authorities, which disrupted ISIS detention sites. In response, US Central Command began relocating detainees to prisons under Iraqi authority as part of a broader plan covering nearly 7,000 inmates. To date, Baghdad has received 4,583 ISIS detainees, including Iraqis, Syrians, Turkish nationals, and individuals from other countries.

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