"If they refuse to repatriate to Indonesia, the government will likely revoke their citizenship," President Joko Widodo said in Yogyakarta on Friday.
The President noted that besides sending an intelligence team and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government has also communicated with the Turkish Government about the repatriation of the 16 Indonesians.
"But if they refused to be sent back home, the government will likely lift their citizenship," Joko Widodo remarked.
Stating that it is the states duty to repatriate the 16 citizens, the head of state noted that he will not make too many comments.
The 16 Indonesians were arrested by Turkish authorities when they were trying to cross into Syria.
Vice-President Jusuf Kalla earlier warned that the government may revoke the citizenship of its people joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
"Citizens joining another countrys war may lose their citizenship," he stated here on Wednesday.
Recently, sixteen Indonesian citizens had reportedly gone missing in Turkey and are believed to have joined ISIS.
The sixteen people were reported missing on February 24 after they separated from a tour group following their arrival at Ataturk airport in Istanbul.
They were expected to return home on March 3 based on their flight schedule, but they failed to arrive at Jakartas airport along with other tour group members.
On March 12, Turkish security authorities arrested 16 Indonesian citizens trying to cross into Syria with official documents.
On Thursday, the Indonesian police released the names of the 16 people who have been detained in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey.
Ten of them are from East Java.
"Ten of the sixteen Indonesians come from East Java. They belong to one family, of Achsanul Huda (AH) and M. Hidayah (MH). Hidayah was a terrorist who died in Tulungagung, East Java, some time ago," National Police Spokesperson Brigadier General Anton Charliyann said here on Thursday.
Charliyann remarked that Achsanul Huda died in Syria along with a cleric Siswanto. Siswanto was from Lamongan, East Java. He was suspected of indulging in terrorism-related activities.
Six other citizens are from West Java.
The National Police have released the names of the sixteen Indonesian nationals who are currently detained in government shelters in Turkey. They are:
1. Ririn Andrian Sawir (AHs wife), 2. Qorin Munadiyatul Haq (AHs daughter), 3. Nayla Syahidah (AHs daughter), 4. Jauza Firdaus Nuzula (AHs daughter), 5. Ikrimah Waliturohman (AHs daughter), 6. Alya Nur Islam (AHs daughter), 7. Agha Rustam Rohmatullah (AHs son), 8. Abdurahman Umarov (AHs son), 9. Tiara Nurmayanti Marlekan (MHs wife), 10. Syifa Hidayah Kalashnikova (MHs daughter), 11. Daeng Stanzah (from Ciamis, West Java), 12. Ifah Syarifah (DSs wife), 13.Ishaq (DSs son), 14. Asiyah Mujahidah (DSs daughter), 15. Aisyahnaz Yazmin (from Bandung, West Java), 16. Muhammad Ihsan Rais (from Ciamis, West Java).
Deputy Chairman of Parliaments Commission I Tubagus Hasanudin stated that at least 514 Indonesians have joined ISIS.
"Based on the information I have received, some 514 Indonesians have joined ISIS, and four of them have been killed in fights," Tubagus remarked here on Wednesday.
He, however, could not furnish details about where the 514 Indonesians hailed from.
"What is certain is that they are all Indonesians," he stated.
He pointed out that the Commission will hold intensive discussions on ISIS with the foreign affairs office, military, and National Intelligence Agency (BIN).
He noted that the BIN and other related institutions, including religious leaders, should prevent radicalization to fight against ISIS.
"Our country has a vast territory, but many of the areas are still free from radicalism. Therefore, I still believe radicalization can be prevented," he emphasized.
He cautioned the government and its intelligence agencies to closely observe school students to protect them from falling prey to the ISIS propaganda.
Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim country, is believed to be ISISs main target for recruitments.
(A014/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
(KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
