A young British man of Greek Cypriot origin is among three people from Syria, who were found on Turkish soil, and have been detained for a few days by the Turkish authorities, as suspects in support of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), according to the Guardian newspaper.
It is, as reported, about Stefan Aristidou from Anfield in north London, who is believed to be about 25 years old.
Aristidou has been missing since April 2015, when he traveled from London to Larnaca. Since then, his traces have disappeared and his family has turned to an aid organization that is active in locating missing persons.
According to the newspaper, the young man "surrendered to the authorities in the Turkish city of Kilis", just five kilometers from the border with Syria, saying that he lived in Raqqa, the stronghold of the Islamists. He said he had gone there only to settle down and not to fight on the side of the jihadists. Turkish authorities say he has also admitted to living in the town of Al Bab, also a stronghold of ISIS.
Neighbors of the family in Anfield have stated that shortly before his disappearance, Aristides had started dressing in Muslim clothes.
He was handed over to Turkish authorities by his wife, also a British national of Bangladeshi origin, and 46-year-old American Carrie Paul Clement.
The Guardian cites the case as indicative of the weakening of the so-called Islamic State, as "large numbers of foreign fighters leave the organization and try to cross into Turkey."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in contact with the Turkish authorities after the detention of a British man on the Turkish-Syrian border."
His wife has reportedly been released, although charges against her have not been ruled out, while Aristeidou and Kleman face between seven and a half and 15 years in prison, according to the Turkish prosecutor's office.
Aristeidou is facing the possibility of criminal prosecution in Britain, if he is extradited from Turkey. Any British citizen arrested on charges of joining the Islamic State will face charges under the anti-terrorism law.
Aristideou lived in north London with his mother and sister, while his father, who is divorced from his wife, also lives in London.
Some 850 people have traveled from Britain to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS and other jihadist groups, such as the al-Nusra Front, or to fight the opposition against Bashar al-Assad. Nearly half of them have returned to Britain and about 200 have been killed.
Source: KYPE