Lisa Smith and daughter due to be deported to Ireland from Turkey

Islamic State supporter and former Irish Air Corps member interrogated by Turkish officials

about 14 hours ago Updated: about 9 hours ago
Conor Gallagher


Lisa Smith left Ireland several years ago, travelling first to Tunisia and then to Syria where she joined up with Islamic State. File photograph: BBC/Screengrab
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Irish Islamic State supporter Lisa Smith has been interrogated by Turkish security services and will be deported in the near future, according to Turkish officials.

The Department of Foreign Affairs have refused to comment on the announcement. A small team of Irish officials, supported by members of the Army Ranger Wing, have been in Turkey for several weeks negotiating the return of the Dundalk woman and her two year old daughter.


It is understood the process has been delayed by the insistence of the Turkish government that Ms Smith be interviewed by security officials about her activities with the terrorist group and about her detainment in refugee camps run by the Syrian Defence Forces following the collapse of the Islamic State’s so-called “caliphate”.


“Efforts to identify the nationalities of foreign fighters captured in Syria have been completed, with their interrogations 90 per cent finished and the relevant countries notified,” Interior Ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli told the Turkish State-run Anadolu news agency.


He said two Irish nationals who were captured in Syria will be deported in the coming week, along with nationals from several other European countries.

Government and security sources have confirmed the Irish nationals are Ms Smith and her daughter.


The interior ministry said “legal proceedings”relating to the Irish nationals are”about to end.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crim...rkey-1.4079261