Hostage crisis in Iraq on agenda of Gül’s last MGK meeting as president

ANKARA

AA Photo

The hostage crisis in Iraq, as well as the political crisis in the neighboring country, marked the National Security Council (MGK) meeting on Aug. 13, when outgoing President Abdullah Gül chaired the top-level meeting for the last time.

“It is stated that our support to the Iraqi peoples and efforts to fund a new government will continue for building a peaceful environment,” said a declaration released after the meeting, which lasted one-and-a-half hours, rather shorter than usual.

“The situation of our Mosul-Consulate General staff being kept in Iraq and of our Turkmen kin has been assessed,” the declaration said, without going into further detail.

Jihadist militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) kidnapped 49 people from the Turkish Consulate-General in Mosul on June 11, including 46 Turkish nationals. The hostages were moved to another location in the city in early July, according to Turkish diplomats. Officials have not dismissed the possibility that ISIL is holding the Turkish citizens as “human shields,” as the group is said to have not so far presented any specific demands for their release.