REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The National Police are still negotiating with Turkish authorities to interrogate 16 Indonesians detained in Turkey.
"We are negotiating with Turkish authorities to interrogate the 16 Indonesians," National Police spokesperson Brigadier General Anton Charliyan said here on Wednesday.
The police have been cooperating with the National Counterterrorism Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to investigate what motivated the 16 Indonesians to go to Turkey and who sponsored their trip.
He remarked that the team has not been able to examine the 16 Indonesians directly due to Turkey's bureaucratic constraints.
According to Charliyan, the 16 Indonesians are in good health. The police have not yet studied the article to ensnare the 16 Indonesians.
"It will depend on the result of their examination. If they have joined ISIS, they can be ensnared. So, we must first analyze all facts properly," he affirmed.
Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Commission I of Parliament Tubagus Hasanudin said at least 514 Indonesians have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group.
"Based on the information I have received, around 514 Indonesians have joined ISIS and four of them have been killed in fights," Tubagus said here on Wednesday.
Tubagus, however, could not give details about the places from where the 514 Indonesians hailed.
"What is certain is that they are all Indonesians," he stressed.
He revealed that the Commission will intensively discuss the ISIS issue with the foreign affairs office, military, and national intelligence agency.
He pointed out that currently the BIN and other related institutions, including religious leaders, should prevent the radicalization of Indonesian citizens in order to fight ISIS.
"Although our country has a vast territory, many of the areas have remained free of radicalism. Therefore, I still believe radicalization can be prevented," he added.
He urged the government and its intelligence agency to closely watch school students and protect them from falling for the ISIS propaganda.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, is believed to be ISIS's main source for recruiting fighters.
Meanwhile, Indonesian and Turkish authorities are jointly looking for 16 Indonesians who are reported missing in Turkey.
They were part of a group of Indonesian tourists who were visiting Turkey. They separated from the group and are believed to have joined ISIS.
They said they wanted to visit a relative there and promised to join the group to return home to Indonesia, but they did not return.
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