News On Turkey
United States Releases 18 Detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Pentagon transfers 17 to Afghanistan, One to Turkey, Defense Department announces
19 April 2005
Washington -- The U.S. Department of Defense announced April 19 that it has transferred 17 detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Afghanistan and one detainee to Turkey.
"This transfer increases the number of detainees who have departed Guantanamo to 232," the Pentagon said. "This transfer includes 18 detainees found to no longer be an enemy combatant by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal."
In a brief statement, the Pentagon said that the review of the status of detainees is ongoing, and that a determination about the continued detention or transfer of a detainee is based on the information and evidence available at the time.
"During the course of the war on terrorism, the department expects that there will be other transfers or releases of detainees," according to the statement.
Prior to this transfer, 214 detainees had departed Guantanamo -- 149 were released and 65 were transferred to the control of other governments (29 to Pakistan, five to Morocco, seven to France, seven to Russia, four to Saudi Arabia, one to Spain, one to Sweden, one to Kuwait, one to Australia and nine to Britain).
There are approximately 520 detainees currently at the detention center on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, the Pentagon said.