Ankara - The alleged murderer of an eight-year-old girl in Germany was taken into custody by Turkish police late Tuesday night in the western Turkish town of Didim after his father-in-law helped track him down, the Dogan news agency reported on Wednesday.

Ali Kur, 29, fled Germany after allegedly sexually assaulting and murdering Kardelen Kirac, 8, at a lake outside the town of Paderborn. German police said Kur's business card was found near the girl's body and that DNA found in his home matched evidence from the crime scene.

The girl lived in the same apartment block as the suspect and disappeared on January 12. Her naked body was found two days later. Police say she had been sexually abused.

Kur's father-in-law, Kadir Ayaz, 49, told the Dogan news agency that Kur left for Turkey the day after German police announced that Kur had fled the country. Ayaz hired a detective and a group of 20 people to help track down Kur.

Ayaz said that after a week of searching various towns in and around the province of Aydin, where Kur's parents live, he managed to arrange to meet Kur late Tuesday night in the Aegean Sea town of Didim. He said when Kur saw that Ayaz was not alone, Kur ran into a police station.

"I promised not to return to Germany unless I found Ali," Ayaz said. "For me it is a matter of honour," he said, adding that he had hired a divorce lawyer for his daughter.

German Public prosecutor Horst Ruerup said last week that Turkish prosecutors had warned they could not extradite Kur, but would try him in a Turkish court if he were caught.

"Of course we will respect that position," Ruerup said, noting that Turkish law ordains life imprisonment for such crimes. (dpa)