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| Iraq |
| Iraq raids Shiite militia HQ over kidnapping of Turkish workers |
| 2015-09-06 |
| [Hurriyet Daily News] Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sept. 4 spoke on the phone with his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi over the abduction of 18 Turkish workers in Baghdad on Sept. 2, as Iraqi security forces raided the Baghdad headquarters of a powerful Iranian-backed Shiite militia. Sources from the Turkish Prime Ministry quoted Abadi as saying his government was doing everything to save the kidnapped workers, according to state-run Anadolu Agency. Davutoglu thanked his Iraqi counterpart for Iraqi security forces' efforts to save the workers, the sources said. The workers "were there not just to earn their livelihood, but also to contribute to the reconstruction of the Iraqi economy and Iraq", Davutoglu reportedly told Abadi. Separately, a commission of three Turkish MPs established by the parliamentary group of the Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) visited Baghdad on Sept. 4 to monitor the rescue efforts and contribute to the ongoing operation. "We will do our best for our brothers," politician Ahmet Akin told journalists at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul before leaving. He added they would be meeting with company and Iraqi officials. A total of 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Sept. 2. He said that they were employed with a Turkish construction company in Baghdad. |
| Posted by:Fred |