Daesh detainees: Want to return to Turkey, in order not held accountable
A number of foreign mercenaries detained by the Syrian Democratic Forces said that Turkey was their preferred destination if they were released because they felt safe in the NATO member country.
ANHA conducted interviews with four mercenaries present at a detention facility of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in al-Raqqa area in northeastern Syria.
Atayev Kurman Ali a mercenary from the Republic of Dagestan joined Daesh mercenaries in 2015, when asked about his favorite destination in the event of his release. "Turkey is the best choice.... Turkey is the safest where we may be imprisoned for between five months to one year and a half."
Turkey is a vital artery for the transit of mercenaries, especially those linked to al-Qaida, which is classified on international terrorism lists.
"I came from Dagestan to Istanbul and from there I entered to Syria" noted the mercenary Ali.
The Syrian Democratic Forces have thousands of mercenaries detained during the campaigns launched against Daesh mercenaries since the fall of 2014.
It is clear from the words of mercenaries Mohamed Ghannouchi, who is also a Russian, that Turkey is the safest haven for Daesh mercenaries fleeing from Syria.
"Turkey is my best destination because it (Turkey) will not hand us over to Russia," Ghannouchi said. "In the worst case, we will be imprisoned for a year in Turkey, and then we will continue our lives in good spirits."
Many countries refuse to accept their citizens in the ranks of Daesh despite the many calls made by the political and military administration in northern and eastern Syria and despite pressure from the United States.
According to the mercenary Awaru Suliamano, nicknamed Abu al-Bara, Turkey gives citizenship to a man after a short period of imprisonment.
"In Turkey, we may be jailed for a year and then get citizenship and get back to our normal lives," he says.
"I had contact with my friends who were former prisoners in Turkey and said they went out after a while and lived normally," the mercenary said.
"The passage from Turkey to Syria is very easy," said Magomedov Mansour another mercenary from the Chechen city of Grozny who came to Syria via Turkish territory.
J.O
ANHA
