Turkey must curb militants entering Syria: Germany
Iran Press TV
Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:27PM
Germany has urged Turkey to do more to prevent extremists from getting to Syria through its territory in order to join ISIL militants and other terrorist organizations.
The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, Hans-Georg Maassen, said on Monday that Turkey is a 'key country' because over 90 percent of the foreign militants fighting in Syria have entered the country via Turkey.
According to reports, at least 550 Germans, along with many more from other European countries, have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join extremist groups.
Maassen said efforts to bar extremists from crossing into Syria have been partially successful but the number of those who have arrived in the war-stricken country remains too high.
'So it is all the more necessary that the Turks take further measures,' Germany's domestic intelligence chief pointed out.
The United Nations warned in October 2014 that unprecedented numbers of foreigners are flocking to Iraq and Syria to join extremist groups such as ISIL.
According to a report by the UN Security Council, 15,000 people from more than 80 countries have flocked to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside ISIL or other such groups.
Meanwhile, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday confirmed that the woman suspected of having a role in recent bloodshed in France terror attacks crossed into Syria from Turkey a day after the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, arrived in Turkey from Madrid on January 2 before leaving for Syria on January 8, the minister said.
She is said to be the wife of Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman who was killed after anti-terror units stormed a grocery shop in the eastern Porte de Vincennes area of the French capital on Friday. Officials say four hostages were also killed during the raid.
SF/HMV/SS
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