An extraordinary act of cooperation between Israel and Turkey led to the return Tuesday of a 21-years-old Israeli man who tried to join Islamic State ranks in Syria.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The Israeli Foreign Ministry received a report last Thursday from an Israeli family claiming that their son had traveled to Crete on his way to Turkey. The family told the ministry that after examining the man's internet correspondence, they were worried that he mighty join ISIS.

After investigating the young man's movements, the Foreign Ministry learned that he flew from Crete to Izmir, Turkey, and from there continued to Adana. He then went to Iskenderun, which is near the border with Syria.

Islamic State fighters

With the help of Interpol, the Israeli Foreign Ministry worked alongside the Israeli Embassy in Ankara and the consulate in Isranbul to find and return the Israeli citizen, telling Turkish authorities that the man was not responsible for his own actions.

The Iskenderun police managed to track the man down and bring him to his family members, who arrived at the city.

Ilana Ravid, the Foreign Ministry's Director for Israelis Abroad, said that "this is a complex and worrisome case, but with the diplomatic work of Israeli representatives in Turkey, and the good will of the Turkish authorities, the situation ended well."