Gul: Every Necessary Initiative Launched To Rescue Turkish Driver Kidnapped In Iraq

ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that every initiative was launched to rescue the Turkish driver kidnapped in Iraq.
Replying to a question on the issue, Gul said Turkish Embassy in Baghdad was trying to secure the release of the Turkish driver.
Gul said, ``Bulent Yanik, the kidnapped person is a lorry driver who was delivering supplies from Kuwait to Iraq.``
Asked about the expectation of those who abducted the Turkish driver from Turkish government regarding condemnation of American presence in Iraq, Gul said Turkey earlier clearly expressed its views in this respect.
Gul said Turkey for many times stressed that Iraq should be transferred to civilians, and that Iraqis should start to administer Iraq, and that all foreign soldiers should be discharged from the region in a way that would not pave ways for a chaos.
Gul said the forces in the region were occupation forces and that this was determined by the UN, reiterating that Turkey always defended that all foreign soldiers should depart from Iraq within a timetable without leaving a chaos behind.
(AY-AÖ) 02.06.2004