Turkey deports 4 German nationals for terror links

Turkey deported four terrorists of Germany nationality to their country, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced on Friday.

The terrorists were deported as part of Turkey's ramped-up efforts to repatriate foreign terrorist fighters, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey continues to deport foreign terrorist fighters, it added.

The ministry also noted that the total number of foreign terrorist fighters deported back to their countries since Nov. 11 last year has reached 179.

The issue of the handling of Daesh/ISIS members and their families detained in Syria -- including foreign members of the terror group -- has been controversial, with Turkey arguing foreign-born terrorists should be returned to their countries of origin.

Ankara has said several European countries resisted its efforts to send Daesh/ISIS members back to their countries, but that it will nevertheless press forward.

Turkey has so far deported 7,500 Daesh/ISIS members, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early December, adding that there are currently 1,149 Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Turkish prisons.