Israel, Turkey thwart bid by Israeli youth to join IS

Israel and Turkey blocked an attempt by an Israeli Jewish citizen to join the Islamic State (IS) forces in Syria, and facilitated his return to the Jewish state, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the ministry said the youth's parents called the ministry on Thursday, reporting their 21-year-old son, whose Internet communications found on his computer showed his attempt to join the jihadist extremist militant group in Syria.

The parents tracked his route from Greece's Crete to the Turkish city of Adana, from which he continued with ground transport to Iskenderun, near the Syrian border.

"With the assistance of the Turkish authorities, Iskenderun police located the youth and brought him back to his family, who arrived at the site," said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson added that the youth is still under legal guardianship of his parents, but did not elaborate on the issue, citing privacy.

"This is a complicated and worrisome case," Ilana Ravid, director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Israelis Abroad, said in a statement. "But with the diplomatic help of the Israeli representatives in Turkey, and the good will of the Turkish authorities, there was a good end to the incident," she added.

The incident came amidst signs of normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel.

Over the past years, dozens of Arab citizens of Israel have joined IS and other hardline militant groups in the area, and were sentenced to prison terms upon their return. However, the latest incident was the first time an Israeli Jew attempted to do so.

It was not immediately clear whether the youth will be indicted. Endit