Iraq militant group says holding Turkish hostage-Web

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
Media: Reuters
Byline: n/a
Date: August 26, 2006

DUBAI (Reuters) - A little known Iraqi Islamist militant group said on
Saturday it had kidnapped a Turkish employee of a Turkish firm and demanded
Ankara sever its ties with Baghdad's government for his release.

"We demand that the Turkish government closes this company and severs all
forms of dealings with the traitorous Iraqi government which is allied with
the occupation," said the Brigades of the Lions of Righteousness in a
statement posted on a Web site used by militants.

The man who identified himself in a recording posted with the statement as
Yildirim Tek of Istanbul urged his country to heed the group's call to save
his life.

"I plea to the officials of my country ... to agree with this group to save
me, to save me and bring me to my country, to my children and to my family.
For God's sake," said Tek.

Tek's hands were shackled with chains. He sat on a white plastic chair in
front of a black banner carrying the name of the group and the phrase: "God
is Great, there is no god but Allah."

There was no immediate comment from the Turkish government.

The group did not say what would happen to Tek if its demands were not met,
but other militant groups have killed hostages when their conditions were
ignored. The group said the Turkish firm, identified by Tek as Vinsan, was
working with U.S. forces in Iraq and described Tek's statement as a
"confession".

Tek said his Ankara-based construction company told its employees it was
"doing work with the Iraqi government ... But here we learn that they are
also doing business with the United States".

Vinsan officials were not immediately available for comment.

Tek, who the group said was kidnapped on July 27, said the date of the video
recording was August 16. "Today is August 16. A ceasefire has been agreed
between Lebanon and Israel," he said of the August 14 ceasefire that ended a
34-day conflict between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas.

In September 2004, another group kidnapped 10 Turkish men who were released
in October after their company said it was suspending its operations in Iraq
to save them.

More than 200 foreigners and thousands of Iraqis have been kidnapped since
the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. About 60 hostages have been reported killed
by their captors.
 
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