Gul: Two Turkish Hostages In Iraq Released

KIRSEHIR - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that two Turkish hostages in Iraq were released.
Gul told reporters that, ``the two Turkish hostages in Iraq were released. This good news made us happy.``
TURKISH TRANSPORT COMPANY SAYS TURKISH DRIVERS WILL BE FREED NEAR BAGHDAD IN THE AFTERNOON
MERSIN - Two Turkish drivers will be freed near Baghdad in the afternoon, one of the officials of a Turkish transport company said on Wednesday.
Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Omer Ozturk, one of the shareholders of Turkish Oztur transportation company, said that they talked Al Jazeera TV channel officials on the phone and got confirmation on the release of their two truck drivers near Baghdad in the afternoon today.
``We are pleased with this announcement that our two drivers will be freed after we decided to halt our activities in Iraq,`` he said.
Abdulrahman Demir and Sait Unurlu were announced to have been kidnapped in Iraq last Saturday.
Al Jazeera earlier said that a militant group linked to al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi released two Turkish drivers it was holding hostage in Iraq because their company decided to stop working there.
Due to the Turkish company`s decision to stop sending supplies to U.S. forces in Iraq, the Tawhid and Jihad Group decided to free the two Turkish hostages, said a videotaped statement from the group broadcast on the channel.
(AY-MS-ULG) 04.08.2004