BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The insurgents have taken 80 Turkish citizens hostage in two separate incidents in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Turkey has pledged to retaliate if they are harmed.
"If anything happens to our Turkish people we will respond with the most severe retaliation. Above all we want you to know that we will do everything possible as a state for the immediate return of our brothers in our country, in their homes." Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry says the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant kidnapped 49 of its citizens at the Mosul consulate and taken them to another part of the city. The ministry also said 31 Turkish truck drivers kidnapped by ISIL fighters on Tuesday were being held at a power station in Mosul.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an emergency meeting with President Abdullah Gul, spy chief Hakan Fidan and the armed forces chief of staff Necdet Ozel to discuss security measures and how to secure the release of the hostages.
NATO ambassadors also convened on Wednesday evening at Turkey’s request to discuss the situation in Iraq. After the meeting, a source said Turkey informed its NATO allies of the situation but stopped short from requesting any help.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
|
