First hostage to die will be the Turk: Lebanese clan

ISTANBUL

AA Photo

A Lebanese clan that has captured a group of Syrian men, including one Turkish national, has threatened to kill Turkish Aydın Tufan Tekin if any harm comes to their family member kidnapped in Syria, according to Lebanese newspaper Daily Star.

"If they kill Hasan, the first one we kill will be Aydın Tufan Tekin," a member of the Meqdad clan told the paper.

The Meqdad family has threatened to kidnap even more people, saying that they will target "only Turkish nationals and Syrians connected to the Free Syrian Army."

Aydın Tufan Tekin was among a group of Syrian men kidnapped by the Lebanese clan in retaliation for the abduction of one of their relatives by the rebel Free Syrian Army.

Members of the Meqdad clan had warned that citizens of Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia could be under threat. All three countries have thrown their weight behind the revolt in Syria.

The Turkish hostage was not a Turkish embassy official, a diplomat said, and negotiations were under way to try to secure his release.