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Kyrgyz leader: People joining terrorists in Syria, Iraq should be stripped of citizenship

According to Almazbek Atambayev, there should be no turning back for such people, since they may try to destabilize the situation in Kyrgyzstan itself

BISHKEK, December 24. /TASS/. From 400 to 500 people have left Kyrgyzstan for Iraq and Syria to take part in the fighting in the ranks of international terrorist groups, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev told a news conference on Thursday.

"However, the problem is not that they have left," he said. "The big problem is that they return." Atambayev believes that drastic measures should be taken against such persons. "It is necessary to pass a relevant law and to deprive such people of the republic’s citizenship," the president said. According to him, many countries are now using this practice, in particular, France.

"There should be no turning back for such people," Atambayev noted, since such people may try to "destabilize the situation" in Kyrgyzstan itself. "They [terrorists] are already moving to Afghanistan, and from there using roundabout paths they will come here too," he said. "So far, our intelligence agencies work well, but no one is safe from harm." According to him, intelligence agencies need more funds to effectively counter these threats. It is also necessary to increase citizens’ educational level, he said.