Family of Israeli teen missing in Turkey says no way he crossed into Syria
Father of Ahmed al-Assam, 19, from Bedouin community in southern Israel, says if his son was Jewish, Israel would make more of an effort to find him
The family of an Israeli teenager reported missing in Istanbul, Turkey says there is just no way their son crossed into Syria, rejecting any speculation that he may have joined Syrian rebels groups or even the Islamic State in the war-torn country. The father of the family has accused Israel of not making enough efforts to locate his son because he is not Jewish.
Ahmed al-Assam, 19, from Tel Sheva, a Bedouin community in southern Israel, was last seen last Wednesday leaving the hotel room he was sharing with relatives while on a family trip to the Turkish city.
When he did not return, his father flew to Turkey to help search for him and alert the Turkish authorities.
The father, Abdullah al-Assam, said the family has tried to verify whether he crossed the border into Syria and even sent relatives to the crossings to check whether he was seen. “We reached the conclusion that this didn’t happen” — that he did not cross the border.
“My son would not have gone to Syria. He always told us what he was doing and what his next step was; he showed us infinite respect. He wouldn’t move an inch without letting us know and that’s why we are so worried. We’re afraid of hearing bad news,” he told the Ynet news site.
The father said his son flew to Istanbul with two family members on Sunday and on Wednesday when they decided to go out, he declined to join them, saying he wanted to rest in the hotel room. He left to buy some presents for his siblings and brought them back to the hotel after which he stepped out again and did not return, according to the father.
“We’re waiting to hear from him. At the very least, he could say that he’s ok so we are calm down,” he said, adding that he was “surprised” at how the State of Israel has handled the event.
While the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the Israeli consulate in Istanbul was in touch with the family and with Turkish authorities, the father said it appears Jerusalem “does not care about what we are going through.”
“If the missing person was Jewish, they would have not rested until he was found. But because he’s Arab, everyone is silent and there’s no one to help us,” he said.
Abdullah said he was calling for his son to “make contact” and that he hoped for his safe return.