Turkish officials have detained 16 Indonesian citizens who confessed they were planning to cross the border into Syria, Indonesia’s foreign ministry said.
The group comprises a man, four women, three girls and eight boys, said spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir. The ages of the children have not been released.
Nasir told reporters on Friday that the group was stopped in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, just north of the city of Aleppo in Syria. They admitted to officials they planned to enter Syria, Nasir said.
The Indonesian government is sending a security team to Turkey to investigate the group’s objectives and plans and to increase cooperation with Turkish security officials, Nasir said.
This group of 16 Indonesians is different from another 16 Indonesians who reportedly deserted their tour group recently in Turkey and are feared to have crossed into Syria. Nasir confirmed these are two separate groups.