AFP, 20 Sep 2014 – Nine Turks were freed Saturday more than three months after the Islamic State group kidnapped them in Iraq, as the US sought to strengthen a coalition to defeat the jihadists.
It was not immediately clear what circumstances led to their release, which came as heavy clashes raged in neighbouring Syria between Kurds and the jihadists after they seized dozens of villages in a lightning offensive.
NATO member Turkey has so far been reluctant to take part in combat operations against the IS militants, or allow the US-led coalition to use its airbases for strikes against them, citing its concern over for the safety of the hostages.
The news came as France mounted air strikes in Iraq, becoming the first nation to join the American campaign, more than a decade after Paris famously refused to back the US-led invasion of the country.
France’s participation boosted American-led efforts to unite the world against the growing threat posed by the jihadists, as US Secretary of State John Kerry sought to build support at the UN for a coalition against the jihadists.
The Turkish nationals, including diplomats, children and special forces, were kidnapped from the country’s consulate in Mosul as IS-led militants overran the northern Iraqi city and then swept through much of the country’s Sunni Arab heartland.
“Early in the morning our citizens were handed over to us and we brought them back into our country. At 5:00 am (0200 GMT) they entered the country,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters Saturday during an official visit to Azerbaijan, adding that all were in good health.
In Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement that the Turkish authorities had carried out a “pre-planned, detailed and secret operation”.