BERLIN - German foreign minister thanked Sunday Turkish security forces for their efforts to save the three German mountaineers who were kidnapped by PKK terrorists in an eastern Turkish province last week.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany told reporters that the mountaineers were in good condition and officials from the German embassy in Ankara took care of them.
Steinmeier also said that he talked to Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on the phone and asked him to thank Turkish security forces who displayed intense efforts for the release of German mountaineers.
Members of the terrorist organization PKK kidnapped three German mountaineers on July 9th, 2008 from Mount Agri in eastern Turkey. Thirteen mountaineers, headed by a guide, were camping at 3,200 meters of altitude when five terrorists raided the camp and abducted three mountaineers.
After the attack, Turkish gendarmery launched a wide-scale search and rescue operation and the other mountaineers were brought to Agri`s Dogubayazit town.
The spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry said earlier on Sunday that the abducted German mountaineers were safe with Turkish authorities.
(DO-BRC)
(DIP)