Speaking to reporters before a visit to the United States, Erdogan also said Turkey would continue repatriating foreign ISIS terrorists to their home countries, even if those countries decline to take them back, Iran News quotes what AP reported.

“You should revise your stance toward Turkey, which at the moment holds so many Daesh members in prison and at the same time controls those in Syria,” Erdogan warned European nations, a day after the EU unveiled a system to sanction Turkey.

He added, “These gates will open and these free ISIS prisoners who have started to be sent to you will continue to be sent. Then you can take care of your own problem.”

Erdogan’s comments came as Turkey launched a new push to send back captured foreign terrorists to their home countries, telling Western nations that Turkey was not a “hotel” for ISIS members and criticizing them for their reluctance to take back citizens who had joined the ranks of the terror group as it sought to establish a “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey deported citizens of the United States, Denmark, and Germany on Monday and announced plans to soon expel seven other German nationals, two Irish and 11 French nationals.

Turkey said last week that about 1,200 ISIS terrorists were in Turkish prisons and 287 Daesh members, including women and children, were captured during Turkey’s offensive in Syria, launched last month.

The latest spat with the EU is over exploration for gas around EU member Cyprus. Turkish drillships, escorted by warships, began exploratory drilling this summer in waters where Cyprus says it has exclusive economic rights. Turkey says it is protecting its rights and those of Turkish Cypriots on the divided island.

EU foreign ministers adopted a mechanism making it possible “to sanction individuals or entities responsible for, or involved in, unauthorized drilling activities of hydrocarbons.” EU member countries can now come forward with the names of those they think should be listed.

While Turkey has quietly deported ISIS sympathizers for years, it raised the issue more forcefully after Western nations refused to back its offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces whom Ankara considers to be terrorists linked to Kurdish militants fighting inside Turkey. Many countries have voiced concerns that the Turkish invasion would lead to a resurgence of ISIS.

Turkish news reports said Monday that a US citizen who had been deported by Turkey was stuck in a heavily militarized no man’s land between Greece and Turkey after Greece refused to take him in.

Asked to comment on the reports, Erdogan said, “Whether they are stuck there at the border it doesn’t concern us. We will continue to send them. Whether they take them or not, it is not our concern.”

 

A German and a Danish national would also be repatriated, while seven other German nationals would be returned on Nov. 14, Interior Ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli said as returning ISIS terrorists to their homes. Iran News quotes what AP reported.

The US and Denmark did not comment on Ankara’s announcement. Germany said it will not refuse entry to its own citizens.

The move comes just over a week after the Turkish interior minister said Turkey was not a “hotel” for ISIS terrorists and criticized Western nations for their reluctance to take back citizens who had joined the ranks of the terror group as it sought to establish a “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.

In Denmark, the weekly newspaper Weekendavisen said the name of the Danish citizen being extradited was Ahmad Salem al-Haj, who faces terror charges in Denmark.

 

While Turkey has quietly deported ISIS sympathizers for years, it raised the issue more forcefully after Western nations refused to back its offensive in northeastern Syria against Syrian Kurdish militiamen, whom Ankara considers terrorists linked to Kurdish insurgents fighting inside Turkey. Many countries have voiced concerns that the Turkish incursion would lead to a resurgence of Daesh.

Catakli did not provide further information on the Daesh terrorists being sent home but said they were held in Turkish deportation centers.

“This morning, a foreign terrorist from the United States was deported from Turkey after the procedures at the deportation center were completed,” Catakli said.

Two Irish nationals, two German nationals and 11 French nationals who were captured in Syria would also be transferred to their countries of origin soon, he added.

Turkey has been accused of enabling the influx of thousands of foreign Daesh sympathizers into Syria over the years and at the height of the terror group’s power, the Turkish border crossings were the main route for those hoping to join Daesh in Syria.

Turkey denies that it enabled foreigners to cross into Syria. It later stepped up security at its borders, including profiling possible ISIS terrorists at airports and building a wall along with parts of its porous border.

Turkey was hit by a wave of ISIS attacks in 2015 and 2016, including one by a gunman who opened fire at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations in the early hours of 2017 and killed 39 people.

In Berlin, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said Turkey told Germany about its plan to deport one person on Monday, seven on Thursday and two more German nationals on Friday. The group comprises three men, five women, and two children.

So far, Burger said, German authorities cannot confirm that the 10 were involved with Daesh. There are indications that two of the women were in Syria, but neither of the children is believed to have been in Syria.

There was no dispute about these people’s German citizenship, he said, and therefore no doubt about them being let back into the country — Germany can’t and doesn’t refuse entry to its own citizens.

Turkey has over the past few weeks criticized Western nations, including Britain and the Netherlands, for refusing to take back their nationals who had joined the terror group and vowed to send back ISIS terrorists — even if their citizenship has been revoked.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said last week that about 1,200 foreign ISIS terrorists were in Turkish prisons and 287 members, including women and children, were recaptured during Turkey’s offensive in Syria.

Several European countries, including Britain, have stripped Daesh terrorists of their nationalities, to prevent their return.

“That is not acceptable to us. It’s also irresponsible,” he said of Europe leaving Turkey to deal with the prisoners alone. “We will send the captured ISIS members to their countries,” he told reporters, adding that Turkey is not a hotel for any country’s terrorists.

Turkey has captured some escaped Daesh terrorists in northeastern Syria over the last month after it launched a military incursion there.

Close to 750 ISIS prisoners held in custody run by Kurdish militiamen in northeastern Syria got out after the incursion. More than 250 of those terrorists have surrendered and are now under the control of the Turkish Army.

European countries continue to refuse to repatriate citizens who fought for the terrorist group in Syria.

“Countries can’t just revoke the citizenship of such ex-terrorists and expect Turkey to take care of them,” Soylu said.

He noted that the Netherlands was not the only country to revoke the citizenship of ISIS terrorists, recalling that the UK and others have also followed suit to avoid taking responsibility.

Soylu’s remarks follow reports that two female Dutch terrorists were detained after visiting the Dutch Embassy in Ankara, after having asked to be sent back to their homeland. The Netherlands has clearly stated that it does not want ISIS prisoners back.

Soylu also noted that Turkey has nabbed around 100,000 illegal migrants since January.

“Authorities detain around 400-500 irregular migrants on a daily basis in Istanbul alone,” Soylu said, highlighting Turkey’s determination to tackle illegal migration.

He also slammed Europe for adopting an “inhumane” migration policy for refusing to take in asylum seekers.

Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world. Ankara says it has so far spent $40 billion on the refugees.

Reuters and Daily Sabah contributed to this story.