Turkey begins repatriating 184 Islamic State members held in Iraq

September 4, 2026 at 10:12 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Turkey has repatriated the first group of Islamic State members from Iraq, where they were transferred from prisons in northeastern Syria in early 2026. The 184-person list includes key suspects in the 2015 Ankara train station bombing that killed 104 people. The repatriation process began after years of detention in Syria and Iraq.

Key Facts

The first group of Islamic State members held at Karh Central Prison in Baghdad was brought to Ankara.
The 184-person list includes Savaş Yıldız, a fugitive defendant in the October 10 Ankara train station bombing case that killed 104 people.
Ömer Deniz Dündar, another fugitive in the October 10 case, was brought from Syria to Turkey in May and gave testimony under an effective remorse program.
Mahmut Gazi Tatar, listed at number 132, was sought in the blue category after the Suruç bombing and was linked to the Adıyaman cell around Mustafa Dokumacı.
İlyas Aydın, known as the Islamic State's 'Istanbul Emir' with the code name Ebu Ubeyde, appears at number 32 on the list.

Repatriation Process

The repatriation of Turkish citizens who were Islamic State members began after they were transferred from prisons in northeastern Syria to Iraq in early 2026. The first group from Karh Central Prison in Baghdad was brought to Ankara, according to a report by T24's Hale Gönültaş. The 184-person list of Turkish citizens transferred from Syria to Iraq has been detailed.

October 10 Attack Suspects

Savaş Yıldız, a fugitive defendant in the October 10 Ankara train station bombing that killed 104 people, is listed at number 80 on the 184-person list. Yıldız was also the perpetrator of bomb attacks on HDP buildings in Adana and Mersin before the June 7, 2015 elections. His father's name is Kasım, mother's name Fatma, birthplace Adana, and birth year 1983, matching official Turkish records. Ömer Deniz Dündar, another fugitive in the October 10 case, was brought from Syria to Turkey in May and testified under the effective remorse program. Dündar, using the code name 'Ammar', identified organization leaders including Mustafa Dokumacı, Yunus Durmaz, İlhami Balı, Ahmet Güneş, and İlyas Aydın.

Other Key Figures

Mahmut Gazi Tatar, listed at number 132, was linked to the Adıyaman cell around Mustafa Dokumacı and was sought in the blue category after the Suruç bombing. İlyas Aydın, known as the Islamic State's 'Istanbul Emir' with the code name Ebu Ubeyde, appears at number 32 on the list. Aydın was captured in Deir ez-Zor in 2019 and has been in Iraq since February. Burak Hazar, sought with a red notice in the Adana 'Sanayi Group' investigation and who crossed to Syria in 2014, is listed at number 47.