Some 780 foreign terrorists deported in 2019

Turkey deported nearly 780 foreign terrorist fighters back to their countries in 2019, the interior minister said on Dec. 29.

"We have sent 778 foreign terrorist fighters back to their countries of origin since the beginning of the year," Süleyman Soylu said in a live interview with CNN Turk.

Soylu did not mention whether all of them were linked to the ISIL terror group.

There are some 1,200 foreign ISIL members being held in Turkish prisons and nearly 300 were held in Turkey's current anti-terror operation in northern Syria, including relatives of ISIL members, Soylu announced on Nov. 4.

Ankara continues to deport foreign terrorists to their countries of origin.

The issue of the handling of ISIL members and their families detained in Syria -- including foreign members of the terror group -- has been controversial, with Turkey arguing that foreign-born terrorists should be repatriated to their countries of origin while several European countries have refused, saying the terrorists were denationalized.

Since recognizing ISIL as a terror group in 2013, Turkey has been attacked by the group numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.

In response to the attacks, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad, neutralizing 3,500 ISIL terrorists and arresting 5,500.

On nationwide anti-drug and anti-terror operations, Soylu said Turkey seized 43 million cannabis roots worth 15 billion Turkish liras ($2.5 billion) in 2019 and the country destroyed 2,700 shelters and seized 600 walkie talkies used by YPG/PKK terrorists over the last two years.

Turkey has been fighting narcoterrorism and this year confiscated more...