CHP to head to Damascus to repatriate captured Turkish journalist

ISTANBUL

A Turkish relief organization has released a photo of captive Turkish journalist Cüneyt Ünal in Oct. AA Photo

A committee from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is set to head to Syria to receive Turkish journalist Cüneyt Ünal from custody, CHP Hatay deputy Refik Eryılmaz has said, daily Hürriyet has reported.

Eryılmaz reportedly met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month and discussed the situation of two Turkish journalists who were captured in the summer by Syrian soldiers.

“Bashar al-Assad has welcomed the idea of releasing [the journalists],” Eryılmaz said.

Eryılmaz’s recent meetings reportedly signaled that journalist Ünal would soon be freed, but the situation of the other journalist, Başar Kadumi, remains unclear. 

Ünal went missing with Jordanian colleague Bashar Fahmi shortly after crossing into Syria from Turkey on Aug. 20. He appeared in an interview with a Syrian pro-government television channel several days later, in which he described his capture by Syrian soldiers in Aleppo.