Arınç Says Turkish Citizens Held Captive By ISIL Alive

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has said the Turkish hostages who were kidnapped by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in June in Iraq's second largest city of Mosul are alive and that Turkey knows where they are being kept.

Speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Arınç eased concerns about the state of the 49 Turkish hostages seized by ISIL, saying they are alive.

“Unfortunately, our wishes haven't been fulfilled yet. … But, thanks to God, they are alive. The place where they are being held is known and contact with them has been maintained. However, it hasn't been possible to take them from there and bring them to Turkey. … We are looking at bringing good news back to their families. We have been in contact with them,” Arınç said, adding they are still in Mosul.

On June 11, 49 people -- including Turkish Consul General Öztürk Yılmaz and other diplomatic staff, members of the special forces and dependents -- were taken hostage by the ISIL terrorist group. ISIL broke into the Turkish Consulate General in Mosul after threatening the diplomats inside with a bomb attack.

Relatives of Consul General Öztürk Yılmaz expressed their fears regarding the Turkish nationals held captive by ISIL on Sunday and called on the government to provide information about whether Yılmaz and the other hostages are still alive. Feridun Yılmaz, a relative of Öztürk, lashed out at the government for failing to rescue the hostages and called on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to bring them back to Turkey.

The main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Ardahan deputy, Ensar Öğüt, also said Yılmaz's relatives are concerned since there have been claims that the hostages were killed.

“Have the hostages been killed or not? If they are alive, where are they? The government has to inform the relatives [of the kidnapped Turkish citizens] properly,” said Öğüt.

Arınç said Turkey is faced with a “special situation” and efforts have been ongoing to release the Turkish nationals held by ISIL. He also stated that he is hopeful for their release.

The Foreign Ministry also released a statement on the current allegations concerning the Turkish hostages. It stated that the claims over the health of the Turkish citizens held by ISIL are "baseless" and criticized the reports, saying they may have a negative impact.

During the press conference, Arınç also recalled the ban on media coverage of the hostage crisis in Iraq, saying: “We should pick our questions and answers so as not to endanger our citizens' lives.”

The government received criticism for its handling of the hostage crisis. A court imposed a ban on reporting about the kidnappings soon after the crisis erupted on the grounds of protecting the safety of those held, according to a copy of the ruling published by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

The media ban sparked accusations from many circles that the government is pushing the incident out of the headlines in an attempt to avoid accountability. The court order came only two days after then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had criticized the media over reports on the hostages.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)