20-04-2024 12:56 PM Jerusalem Timing

Turkey, UK Agree to Ban Flow of Foreign Fighters

Turkey, UK Agree to Ban Flow of Foreign Fighters

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and British counterpart David Cameron expressed their joint resolve Tuesday to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

British Prime Minister David Cameron (L), Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and British counterpart David Cameron expressed their joint resolve Tuesday to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and intelligence sharing to prevent the flow of foreign fighters into Syria, World Bulletin website reported.

Addressing a joint press conference in Ankara, Davutoglu clarified Turkey's policy regarding passage of militants through its borders.

"Turkey has never and will never tolerate the transit of foreign fighters via Turkish soil or their presence in Syria," the Turkish prime minister said.

Cameron, who arrived in Ankara Tuesday evening, called for more intelligence sharing between the two countries to block the flow of foreign fighters, including British citizens into Syria to fight alongside the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) terrorist group.

The British premier highlighted the danger that the foreign fighters posed for the U.K., and said the fighters "threaten us back at home" and everything should be done in their power to deal with the threat.

A report released in October by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization at King’s College, London, said that 23 British fighters had been killed in Syria and Iraq.

The British government said that up to 500 Britons have traveled abroad to take part in fighting in Syria, and that at least 218 had returned to the U.K.

Cameron also said that the U.K. like Turkey wanted "a political transition in Syria."

Cameron’s visit to Turkey comes weeks after he said Britain had to take action to deal with the threat posed by “foreign fighters planning attacks against our people."