France loses terror suspects in "huge foul-up"
PARIS -- Three suspected French jihadis turned themselves into police Wednesday, easing terrorism fears after a mix-up in which they went to Syria and then were sent home by Turkey without the knowledge of French police.
French authorities also botched early reports about the men, saying they were apprehended at Orly airport in Paris only to announce later they had flown to Marseille, passed through a customs check and walked away free.
Defense lawyers as well as a security official said the three appeared for questioning at a police station in Caylar.
Speaking on France-Info radio, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian decried a "huge foul-up" due to flawed contacts with Turkish authorities. Eric Ciotti, an opposition lawmaker, called it an "unforgivable slip-up."
"The French people need security, they need to be reassured, and they're getting the opposite message," Ciotti told RTL radio.
French authorities estimate 900 citizens or residents of France have planned to go to Syria and Iraq to wage jihad, the largest figure for any country in Europe. Many fly to Turkey and then cross into Syria.
In total, European Union counter-terrorism chief Gilles de Kerchove said this week that about 3,000 Europeans have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join extremist groups.
De Kerchove told the French news agency AFP that about 20 to 30 percent of those individuals are believed to have returned to their home countries in Europe. Some of them, he said, have assimilated back into society and do not represent any threat.
"The challenge is for each member state to assess each and every returnee, assess their dangerousness and provide the adequate response," De Kerchove told AFP.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced an internal investigation and said he would travel to Turkey. He also noted an apparent breakdown in a computer system used at Marseille passport control.
One suspect, Abdelouahab El Baghdadi, was the brother-in-law of Mohamed Merah, a Frenchman who trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan, then returned home and killed seven people in 2012. Merah died in a shootout with police.
Another suspect, Imad Djebali, reportedly knew Merah for years. The third man was identified as Gael Maurize. The Interior Ministry said they were detained in Turkey for alleged visa violations.
Defense lawyers said they didn't know whether the men had joined up with Islamic extremists in Syria, but noted their voluntary appearance before police suggested they were not a threat to France.