Turkey arrests extremist wanted by Germany

BERLIN - The Associated Press

The Cilvegozu border crossing in Hatay between Turkey and Syria. AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILIC

A security official says an Islamic extremist who has allegedly called for terrorist attacks on Europe has been arrested in Turkey and Germany will seek his extradition.

The German official said Friday Mohamed Mahmoud was picked up Tuesday in the southeastern province of Hatay near the Syrian border. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record.

Mahmoud, who was jailed in his native Austria in 2007 for ties to al-Qaida, moved to Germany upon his release in 2011 and became an imam with the ultraconservative Salafi movement.

He was expelled from Germany in 2012 and resurfaced in Egypt where he is alleged to have produced online German-language videos for the Global Islamic Media Front calling for terrorist attacks in Europe.