Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government has sent a team to Turkey to look for 16 Indonesian nationals who are "missing" in the Mediterranean country.
"There is already a team from Indonesia there to help the Turkish security authorities (find the 16 people)," Arrmanatha Nasir, a spokesman of the Indonesian foreign affairs ministry, said here, Monday.
He said Turkey is a huge country covering 770 thousand km2, and having many mountains and difficult terrain. If someone is hiding somewhere in Turkey, it is very difficult to find him or her, he added.
He said the ministry does not want to speculate about the reason why the 16 Indonesians left the tour group and up to now their whereabouts are still not known. The search and investigation are still going on, he added.
"The foreign ministry is reluctant to speculate about their motive of leaving the tour group, including about a suspicion that they might join ISIS," he noted.
In the meantime, the ministry's director for the protection of Indonesian citizens and Indonesian legal entities (PWNI-BHI), Muhammad Iqbal said, no relatives of the 16 Indonesians reported about their missing to the authorities. The ministry has not known how they were missing and could not confirm on the suspicion that they might join ISIS. (WDY)
Related News
Indonesia`s DVI Team to Find Indonesians Missing in Nepal
Wednesday, 13 Mei 2015 20:49
Police Arrest Youth With ISIS Attributes
Tuesday, 24 Maret 2015 14:24
Turkish Government to Deport 12 Indonesians
Tuesday, 24 Maret 2015 8:50
Sixteen Indonesians Arrested In Turkey Are Not Missing Tourists: Spokesperson
Friday, 13 Maret 2015 15:21
Rektor Unud diperiksa Kejati selama delapan jam
Thursday, 6 April 2023 22:21
Di Bali, dua jenazah WNA Ukrania dinyatakan negatif COVID-19
Thursday, 30 April 2020 20:24
The Indonesia takes firm stand on saying no to foreign rubbish
Wednesday, 10 Juli 2019 8:23
Police intensifified security arrangements around Constitutional Court building
Wednesday, 26 Juni 2019 11:54
Mt. Agung erupts with incandescent lava flowing for 3 kilometers
Saturday, 25 Mei 2019 4:05
Nine policemen die while securing Indonesia's elections
Saturday, 20 April 2019 6:49
Smoke two thousand meters high, Mt Agung's eruption sends ash
Thursday, 4 April 2019 13:11
Garuda flight forced to emergency landing in Sri Lanka
Wednesday, 3 April 2019 20:04