A Turkish member of the radical Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group traveled to Denizli, his hometown, for treatment, according to media reports.
The Denizli Governorate confirmed that Emrah Ç. was admitted to Pamukkale University hospital in the province and that a judiciary process was underway. Social media users have claimed that the man was injured in clashes between ISIS militants and Kurdish forces in Kobani, a Syrian Kurdish town located near the Turkish-Syrian border and was taken to Hatay, a Turkish border province where he received initial treatment. The Denizli Governorate said authorities in Hatay looked into his case and an investigation was still underway. "Every Turkish citizen is has the right to receive medical services in Turkey," the governorate's statement said.
Though no other official statement was made on the patient's link to ISIS, Emrah Ç. may face a trial and subsequent imprisonment for at least six years if found guilty of membership in the group, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey.
ISIS, which besieged Kobani, fought Syrian Kurdish forces aligned with the PKK, but was repelled by the Kurdish forces from the town in northern Syria in January, although occasional clashes with the armed faction that control wide swathes of land especially in northern Syria continue near the Syrian Kurdish town.
Speaking to the Turkish media, a Denizli representative of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) that supports the Kurdish forces in Kobani criticized the Turkish government for allowing Emrah Ç. to be treated in the country, stopping short of calling the government to abandon him to die.
Turkey, which has seen a massive influx of displaced Syrians since war broke out in its southern neighbor in 2011, pursues a humanitarian policy toward Syrians wounded in clashes or bombings. Syrian rebels often seek treatment in hospitals in Turkish border towns, and it is rare for ISIS militants to apply for treatment in hospitals in Turkey, which the armed group views as an enemy.
