There are just too many men like these for Western authorities to track them all. And that’s what the Islamic State is banking on.
“Turkey says Brussels attacker deported in 2015, Belgium ignored warning,” Reuters, March 23, 2016:
ANKARA (Reuters) – One of the attackers in the Brussels suicide bombings was deported last year from Turkey, and Belgium subsequently ignored a warning that the man was a militant, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
Erdogan’s office identified the man as Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the two brothers named by Belgium as responsible for the attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels on Tuesday and were claimed by the Islamic State group.
In previous cases, officials have said that without evidence of crime, such as having fought in Syria, they cannot jail people deported from Turkey. Among such cases was Brahim Abdeslam, one of the suicide bombers in Paris in November, who was also sent back to Belgium from Turkey early last year.
Erdogan told a news conference that Bakraoui was detained in the southern Turkish province of Gaziantep near the Syrian border and was later deported to the Netherlands. Turkey also notified Dutch authorities, Erdogan said.
A Dutch government official said Erdogan’s comments were “being carefully looked into,” but that they could not yet say if El Bakraoui had been in the Netherlands.
“One of the attackers in Brussels is an individual we detained in Gaziantep in June 2015 and deported. We reported the deportation to the Belgian Embassy in Ankara on July 14, 2015, but he was later set free,” Erdogan said.
“Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter.”
Erdogan’s office confirmed that Bakraoui was deported to the Netherlands. It said he was later released by Belgian authorities as “no links with terrorism” were found. It was not clear when Bakraoui was handed over to Belgian authorities….

EmHotep says
Erdogan is the biggest supporter of ISIS.
Ed says
Correction: Turkey did not deport, Turkey shipped out the jihadist.
kt says
Only a stupid rasist European like you would make a foolish comment like that. The man has a BELGIAN passport you idiot. You stupid Europeans gave these terrorists citizenships / passports and now you are asking Turkey to do your police work.
Jay Boo says
Bakraoui was detained ….and was later deported to the Netherlands. Turkey also notified Dutch authorities, Erdogan said.
WHAT!
— (DEPORTED to the Netherlands)
Are the Dutch really that stupid to take in a Muslim terrorist that even Turkey refuses?
————————–
Also,
It is possible that Belgium ignored warning but, can we trust Erdogan?
It is possible that Belgium ignored warning but, can we trust Erdogan?
Jay Boo says
sorry –double sentence typo
Angemon says
Well, there were enough evidence for Turkey to ship them back, weren’t there? And again, did the Belgian authorities realize what they were dealing with? Did they raised the possibility of him wanting to wage jihad attacks in Belgium or were they just trying to stop him at the border in case he tried to go to Syria again?
AtaBrit says
Begs the question why Turkey didn’t charge the terrorist?
Why did they simply ‘deport’ the guy?
Seems very much like Turkey wants terrorists and jihadists roaming across Europe!
Angemon says
Why bother spending time and money on a trial when they can ship them back to their country of origin on flimsy charges? Westerners should start doing the same…
Kasey says
When will Western governments realize that you can’t appease a jihadist. The only good one is dead one!
kt says
Only stupid rasist Europeans like you would make a foolish comments like the ones here. The man has a BELGIAN passport. You stupid Europeans gave these terrorists citizenships / passports and now you are asking Turkey to do your police work.
To inform you further El-Bakraoui came back in August 2015 for a second time and was caught and deported again with warnings to BE and NL … this was done exactly according to the rules of the EU … that is exactly what the EU had asked TR to do in case of suspicion.
Richard says
If the primary aim of E.U. bureaucrats is ever closer union – then logically, governments and nationalities will be marginalised to an ever increasing degree. What would have been considered illegal by individual states, becomes irregular. It is unlikely that any E.U. authority now or in the future, would miss out on an opportunity to use the new power base and implicit means of internal coercion. As some would say, Erdogan is doomed to obscurity.
azad says
someone has asked why Turkey did not charge the terrorist guy. I assure you that if Turkey charges or discomforts EU terrorist citizens, it will get schooled by Europeans on Human Rights and Civil Behaviour. Now I ask you guys, how many real European terrorists were freed from guantanamo bay by European countries? many. and how often the Europeans snub Americans for being rough with those terrorists? Turkey has a right to deport EU terrorists. it is the EU job to look after its boarders and people’s safety, not Turkey. also, Turkey has two huge mess on its door step which was mostly caused by western governments. now it has the right to do whatever it can to protect its people and interest. i live in EU and I can see how incompetent these countries are and how their behaviour and civil methods and softness emboldens the terrorists who are many and mostly on welfare.