Employer Of Turkish Trucker Hostage In Iraq Suspends Operations

ISTANBUL, Aug 7 (AFP) - A Turkish trucking company said Saturday it was suspending all its operations in Iraq after one of its drivers was kidnapped by Islamic militants who vowed to behead him unless the company quit the country.
"In light of events, we are suspending all of our activities in Iraq as of today and we will not engage in any kind of transport operations" in the country, the Anatolia news agency quoted Hasan Tahran of Atahan Lojistik as saying.
"Our only wish if for our driver Tahsin Top to be freed and for him to come back to his country in good health," Tahran said.
Earlier, Turkish station NTV broadcast footage of a nervous man, identified as Top, and said his kidnappers had vowed to execute him in 48 hours unless his firm bowed to the kidnappers' demands.