46 Turkish nationals seized by Islamic State militants return home safe
After 100 days of captivity by ISIL militants , forty-six Turkish nationals were freed on Saturday thanks to a a pre-planned covert operation by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) – as expressed by Tayyip Erdoğan.
Erdoğan’s full statement was “I thank the prime minister and his colleagues for the pre-planned, carefully calculated operation secretly-conducted throughout the night. MİT has followed the situation very sensitively and patiently since the beginning and, as a result, conducted a successful rescue operation.”
The hostages, including Turkey’s consul-general in Mosul, members of special forces and children, were first brought to the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, on the border with Syria, early on Saturday. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu cut short a visit to Azerbaijan and flew to Şanlıurfa to greet the freed Turks. They then flew to Ankara, where Davutoğlu delivered a fiery speech to a crowd celebrating the release of the hostages and slamming those who criticized his government during the hostage crisis.
“Today is a day of festivity. At least share this joy; feel whatever this nation feels for once,” Davutoğlu said, addressing critics, whom he called “provocateurs. There were many who tried to provoke the families [of the hostages]. … They were not ready to share the pain of these families. They attempted to carry out a political operation by exploiting the suffering of the families. It is now time to talk about this.”
The hostages, 46 Turks and three non-Turkish personnel at the Mosul consulate, were seized during a lightning advance by ISIL on June 11. Authorities imposed a media ban on the crisis, saying media coverage might put the lives of the hostages at risk. Critics accused the government of failing to order a timely evacuation of the consulate and of keeping the public in the dark for months about the fate of the hostages.
Davutoğlu thanked MİT for its efforts to save the hostages, adding that military and police forces were also involved, working together to free them.
On the other hand, officials gave little detail on the circumstances of the rescue operation. Media reports have said there were no clashes with ISIL, that no ransom was paid and that there was no cooperation with intelligence agencies of other countries.
ISIL militants beheaded two US journalists and one British aid worker, using the tactic to put pressure on Western governments after US air strikes helped halt ISIL’s advances. British and US officials have said in recent weeks that their nationals had been killed by ISIL militants in part because other countries were paying ransom money.
Then again, The US has been drawing up plans for military action in Syria against ISIL fighters, but Turkey made clear earlier it did not want to take a front-line role, partly because of fears for the fate of the hostages.
Opposition leader congratulates Davutoğlu
In the meantime main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who had criticized the government handling of the hostage crisis, phoned Davutoğlu on Saturday to congratulate him for the freeing of the hostages.
“I am very pleased that our citizens were safely rescued from ISIL. I extend my congratulations,” Kılıçdaroğlu was quoted as telling Davutoğlu. The prime minister thanked Kılıçdaroğlu in return, saying a display of national unity is crucial at times like this.
SOURCE: MEDIA
