Turkey has announced that the Islamic State fighter who has spent three days at the Greek border after Ankara tried to deport him to Greece, will be repatriated to the United States.
An American citizen of Jordanian background suspected of being a member of the Islamic State group is being repatriated to the United States after spending three days on the Greek and Turkish border, Turkey’s Interior Ministry announced on Thursday.
Greek police announced on Monday that Turkish authorities had come to the Kastanies border post and requested that a U.S. citizen of Arab descent accompanying them be let into Greece, as he had been arrested for exceeding his maximum permitted stay in Turkey.
The 39-year-old was refused entry and returned to Turkey, Greek police said. However, Turkish state media said the man had remained in a buffer zone between Turkey and Greece.
On Thursday, the Interior Ministry said the United States had agreed to take back the man, who had requested deportation to Greece prior to being denied entry, and that Turkish authorities had begun the necessary proceedings.
According to reports, the US has agreed to take him in and will provide him with travel documents, the ministry said, adding that the repatriation was underway.
The move comes a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
