Freed hostages to testify over ISIL raid on Mosul consulate

ANKARA

The freed hostages returned to Turkish soil on Sept. 20. AA Photo

An Ankara prosecutor has demanded the testimony of the Mosul consulate’s freed personnel, as a part of the ongoing investigation of the raid carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in June, Anadolu Agency has reported.

Freed personnel from the consulate, including Consul General Öztürk Yılmaz, have been requested to testify before the prosecutor as the aggrieved party. The request is part of the judicial investigation into the perpetrators of ISIL's raid, on charges of establishing a terrorist organization and restricting the freedom of Turkish citizens.

Some 46 Turkish citizens were held as hostages by ISIL for 101 days and were freed on Sept. 20.

According to the Anadolu Agency report, prosecutor Sadık Bayındır has officially notified the Police Department to request the testimony of the freed personnel.

All freed personnel have been granted administrative leave of one month by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.