Erdogan: Brussels Bomber Was Caught In Turkey & Deported To Belgium

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email Reddit Telegram

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that one of the terrorists behind the bomb attacks in Brussels that killed over 30 people, was caught in Turkey in June 2015, detained and later deported to Belgium.

BREAKING: Turkey’s Erdogan: one of the Brussels attackers was caught in Turkey in June, deported to Belgium.

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 23, 2016

Hindustan Times reports:

“One of the Brussels attackers was detained in Gaziantep (in southern Turkey close to the Syrian border) and then deported” to Belgium, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

BYPASS THE CENSORS

You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

Erdogan said that the Belgian authorities released the suspect Ibrahim El Bakraoui despite Turkish warnings that he was “a foreign fighter.”

He said the Belgian authorities had failed to confirm the suspect’s links to terrorism “despite our warnings” following his deportation.

Belgian police identified two suspected Islamic State suicide bombers captured on security cameras before they struck Brussels Airport on Tuesday in the first of two attacks that also hit the city’s metro, public broadcaster RTBF said on Wednesday.

Investigators said they were focusing on a man in a hat who was caught on CCTV pushing a laden baggage trolley at the airport with two of the suspected attackers. An unused explosive device was later found at the airport and the man, believed to be Laachraoui, was seen running away from the terminal after the explosions.

The attacks sent shock waves across Europe and around the world, with authorities racing to review security at airports and on public transport, and rekindled debate about European security cooperation and police methods.

The have also fuelled political debate across the globe about how to combat militants.