TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno suspected 514 Indonesians had joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS).
Tedjo said they joined ISIS after meeting other Indonesians who had returned from conflict-torn countries such as Iraq and Syria. “They are the ones who spread ISIS ideology. That’s what we are worried about,” said Tedjo on Thursday.
President Joko Widodo, meanwhile, has sent National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Marciano Norman to Turkey. Tedjo said the president probably asked Marciano to go to Turkey to investigate the possibilities of Indonesians becoming ISIS militants.
“Many Indonesians overseas apparently have the potential to become ISIS members,” said Tedjo.
Previously, 16 Indonesians were missing in Turkey on a trip organized by travel agency Smailing Tour. They were a part of a tour group consisting of 25 people that departed to Turkey in February from Jakarta.
As soon as they arrived at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, they told the group they wanted to separate from the group for a while and promised to rejoin them on February 26 at the city of Pamukkale, Turkey.
However, they never rejoined the group, which was scheduled to return home on March 4.
MUHAMMAD MUHYIDDIN