ANKARA, Aug 26 (AFP) - The employer of two Turkish engineers believed to be held hostage in Iraq said Wednesday it is ending its operations in Iraq, Anatolia news agency reported.
"We have decided to end our activities in Iraq from Thursday morning. Our offices will be closed from that date," the Usluer-Sa/Ra joint venture, which is repairing Iraq's electricity network, said in a statement quoted by Anatolia.
The Ankara-based company also decided to repatriate its personnel and its equipment from the country.
Turkey's NTV news channel earlier Wednesday aired footage of the two Turks, Abdullah Ozdemir and Ali Daskin, both engineers kidnapped from their worksite at an unidentified location in Iraq.
The video showed armed militants threatening to execute them unless their company withdraws from the country within 72 hours.
It was not known when the video was taped.
Turkish officials could not immediately confirm the abduction, but said they were investigating the report.
The latest abductions bring to at least six the number of Turks who are known to be in captivity in Iraq.
Several Turkish men, mostly truck drivers, have been kidnapped in the war-torn country and then released. Only one Turkish national has been executed in Iraq so far.