High-level Initiatives Are Underway To Investigate The Attack On Turkish Security Guards In Mosul

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesman Namik Tan said on Tuesday, ''we have launched high-level initiatives to investigate the terrorist attack on the security guards of the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad.''
     In a written response to a question about the attack, Tan said, ''we undertook initiatives in Baghdad and Washington D.C. to investigate the terrorist attack on Turkish security guards, and bring those who are responsible to the justice.''
     ''During the attack, U.S. special forces, who are members of the multinational force in Iraq, intervened and killed two of the assailants. U.S. forces also transferred the security attache to the hospital in Beled. U.S. forces in Mosul assisted Turkey in identification and transfer of the bodies, and sent the bodies to Turkey rapidly. We are thankful for careful and sensitive approach of U.S. officials,'' Tan added.
     Five Turkish security guards were killed in an ambush as they were travelling by car through Iraq to Baghdad on December 17th. Witnesses said that attackers machine gunned the guards and decapitated one of them after telling them to get out of the cars. Eight guards had crossed Turkey's border with Iraq at Habur in four cars, and were on their way to the embassy in Baghdad, when they were attacked around Iraqi city of Mosul.
     (UK-ULG)
2004-12-21