ANKARA - ''Turkish truck driver Mithat Civi, taken hostage in Iraq on Saturday, was released,'' Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday.
Gul said Civi was released upon the intensive efforts of Turkish Embassy in Baghdad and Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Gul said ''time to time Turkish citizens were exposed to difficult conditions in Iraq. We took every measures however abductions are still possible.''
The Islamic Resistance Movement ''Nu'man Brigades'' earlier kidnapped Civi and released a videotape asking the company for which he was working to withdraw from Iraq within 48 hours. Iraqi insurgents had threatened to behead Civi.
Upon this development, Kuwaiti ''Saqr El-Kuwait Transport Company'' announced on Sunday it stopped all its activities in Iraq aiming to save the life of Turkish truck driver Mithat Civi who was working for them.
An official of the Kuwaiti Company Hasan Cesim Ebul had said they so decided to secure the release of Civi, adding that, ''we stopped all our activities in Iraq. We ask for the release of Civi.''
Renay International Transportation Company, working jointly with the Kuwaiti company, announced on Sunday it also decided to withdraw from Iraq
(AY-ULG) 06.09.2004