Militant Group Says 18 Turkish Workers Kidnapped in Iraq Released
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – 18 Turkish workers that were kidnapped by the militants in Baghdad earlier this month have reportedly been released.
All 18 Turkish construction workers, that were kidnapped by the militants in Baghdad earlier this month have been released, Turkey-based Daily Sabah reported on Monday citing the militant group’s account in social network.
The video published on the group's social media account shows 16 of the captives being released. Two others had been freed in mid-september.
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet confirmed the claim.
On September 2, Turkish construction company Nurol Holding said 18 of its employees, all Turkish nationals, were kidnapped in Baghdad. The Turkish nationals were working on the construction of a sports complex in the Baghdad's Shiite suburb of Sadr City.
According to a video released by the group on September 11, the militants kidnapped the workers to pressure Ankara into changing Turkey’s regional policy.
In June 2014, militants from the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant took 49 employees of the Turkish consulate in Mosul in northern Iraq hostage. The hostages were released after three months in captivity.
