American Islamic State fighter held in limbo at Turkish border

Nov. 14 (UPI) -- A captured American citizen believed to be an Islamic State fighter is being held at the Turkey-Greece border but is expected to return to the United States, Turkish officials said.

The man, identified as Muhammad Darwish Bassam, 39, is of Jordan descent. He has so far been denied entry into the United States and Greece, his country of choice. Turkey's interior ministry said the United States has guaranteed he would be allowed entry once his travel documents are prepared.

Turkey also said it planned to deport a Briton and seven Germans captured as Islamic State fighters. While the 1961 New York Convention said no person can remain stateless, Britain and France never signed on to it.

Bassam was captured by Turkey-supported forces in northeastern Syria in October during Turkey's military offensive.

"There are 2,280 [Islamic State] members in Turkey from 30 countries, all of them will be deported," Turkey Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told the newspaper Sozcu. "We're not a hotel or a guesthouse for terrorists from any country."

President Donald Trump has also urged European allies to readmit citizens who left to join the Islamic State. He'd said U.S.-backed forces in Syria held more than 800 foreign Islamic State fighters.