Turkey is pursuing the return of up to 2,000 people suspected of links to the Islamic State (ISIS) who are currently detained in prisons in northern Syria, according to local media reports citing Turkish and international negotiations. The push follows recent moves by the United States to transfer ISIS detainees from the region to Iraq, where Baghdad has committed to prosecuting fighters and has begun legal proceedings.
Ankara is in talks with Baghdad and Washington to agree on a framework that would allow suspects who are Turkish nationals or have declared Turkish citizenship to be brought to Turkey and face trial in its courts. Among those Turkey is reported to seek repatriation is a senior ISIS figure wanted in connection with a 2015 twin suicide bombing in Ankara that killed more than 100 people; that suspect is currently believed to be held in a Syrian facility.
The negotiations come as control of detention facilities in northeastern Syria has shifted, with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) handing over territory to the Syrian interim government under a broader political transition. Under proposed agreements, countries with citizens held in Syria would take responsibility for prosecuting them according to international legal standards, including evidence gathered from conflict zones.
