Turkey bars entry to thousands of suspected IS supporters from ex-Soviet republics
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 17 July 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkey bars entry to thousands of suspected IS supporters from ex-Soviet republics, 17 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9fb6eda.html [accessed 21 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 17, 2017 16:49 GMT
RFE/RL
Turkey has barred the entrance of thousands of people from the former Soviet Union whom it suspects of having ties to Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq.
In a report published on the Turkish Interior Ministry's website, Turkey said that the former Soviet republics Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, as well as Russia, are among the 10 nations with the highest number of people who have been barred from entering Turkey because of their ties to IS and fears they are seeking to use it to cross into conflict zones to fight for the group.
Some 4,128 Russian citizens, 2,651 Tajiks, 1,914 Kazakhs, and 1,677 Azerbaijanis were on the no-entry list, which was led by Saudi Arabia with 7,523 citizens and Tunisia with 4,605 citizens.
Officials in Russia and other former Soviet republics have said that thousands of former Soviet men and women are fighting alongside IS and other extremist groups in Syria and Iraq.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
