A 17-year-old German attempting to join ISIS has been captured by people maintaining the solidarity vigil with Kobanê in the border village of Mahser (Çaykara) in Suruç district. The German citizen, by the name of L. Lang, was handed over to police who in turn surrendered him to his family who had come to Suruç, from where he was returned to his country.

L. Lang, from the North Rhine Westphalia state of Germany, was held by people maintaining the solidarity vigil in the village of Mahser as he attempted to cross the border on 18 October. They then handed Lang over to HDP officials. Lang admitted to the HDP officials that he had travelled to the area in order to join the ISIS gangs and had been captured by people at the vigil as he crossed the border. The HDP officials handed Lang over to the police and then informed his family. His family arrived last night from Germany and Lang was surrendered to them before returning home.

ISIS would have presented me with an environment to kill people, but I was caught  

Lang told the HDP officials that he had gone from Germany to Austria and from there by bus to Bulgaria, then from there to Istanbul. From there he had travelled to Antep, where ISIS recruitment and logistics are organised. A map showing the border area controlled by ISIS and some notes regarding joining them were found on Lang, who said: “From the information I received in Antep I was going to cross the border in Suruç and join ISIS but I was captured. I hate human beings and ISIS would have given me the best environment to express this hatred and kill people.”

His family was informed and he was sent home

After L. Lang was handed over to police by the HDP officials, the HDP administrators telephoned Lang’s elder sister, K. Lang, to inform her of the situation. The Lang family then informed the German Consulate. The Lang family then arrived in Suruç yesterday evening and L. Lang was sent home.

“I thank the Kurdish people for preventing my son joining ISIS”

L. Lang's mother said she had come from Germany, and thanked the HDP officials and the Kurdish people for preventing her son joining ISIS. She said he had been influenced by ISIS videos he had watched, adding: “ISIS targets young people with psychological problems, who are influenced by the internet, and then join this gang. My son has problems making friends and spends most of his time on the internet and after watching ISIS videos, decided to join them.”

Lang’s mother said that her son would either have died or killed lots of people if he had joined ISIS, adding that he saw the gang as the best place in which he could demonstrate his hatred for people.  She said she would do her utmost to prevent him attempting to join the gangs again. She added that all families in Europe should be aware of the dangers posed by the murderous ISIS gangs.