Sixteen Indonesians arrested from Turkey-Syria border

Jakarta, March 12 (Antara) - Turkish authorities have arrested sixteen Indonesian nationals who were attempting to cross into Syria from a border area in Gaziantep City in Turkey's territory. "We are still learning more on the issue through continuous communication and coordination with the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara and our Consulate in Istanbul," Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Arrmanatha Nasir said during a press briefing here on Thursday. According to Nasir, the Turkish Government earlier notified that sixteen people believed to be Indonesian nationals had been arrested by their authorities in Gaziantep City. However, Nasir emphasized, the Indonesian Government cannot confirm or deny this notification before they receive certain clarification from its official representatives in Turkey. "Tomorrow (March 13), officials from the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara will go to Gaziantep and find out their identities," he noted. It is suspected that the sixteen people, presumed to be Indonesian nationals, were arrested on the Turkey-Syria border when they were trying to cross over into Syria to join ISIS. According to Turkey's Cihan News Agency, MoFA's spokesperson Tanju Bilgic has confirmed that the site from where the sixteen Indonesians were caught has been a frequent route of ISIS sympathizers. Previously, on March 4, sixteen Indonesian nationals with tourist visas reportedly went missing from a tour group in Turkey, causing speculations whether they were abducted or separated on their own intention from the tour group. Immigration authorities in Indonesia confirmed that two infants and five children are part of the sixteen tourists who have gone missing in Turkey. Smailing Tour, the Indonesian tourism agency that organized the Turkey tour of the sixteen Indonesians, is a well-known enterprise. Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo called Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi to the State Palace on Thursday evening to discuss the matter.(*)