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9 Britons detained in Turkey for illegally crossing into Syria

Xinhua, April 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Nine British nationals were detained on the Turkish-Syrian border for trying to enter into Syria, the Turkish General Staff said in a written statement on Wednesday.

The British nationals were trying to cross illegally fromv Hatay province in southern Turkey to nieghboring Syria, said the statement.

The British citizens were handed to the Turkish judicial authorities, said the statement.

A British woman, who was detained in Ankara on suspicion of trying to cross into Syria to join the Islamic States (IS) militants, was deported from Turkey to the United Kingdom on Thursday, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

Three British teenagers suspected of planning to join IS militants were detained in the Turkish largest city of Istanbul in Feburary and deported from Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that some 1,154 foreign fighters have been deported from Turkey and 19,500 people are banned from travelling to the country.

He added that 16 people from Indonesia have been captured recently while trying to cross into Syria. Endit