Turkish hostages freed, says foreign minister

Three Turkish hostages have been released by militants in Iraq, the Turkish foreign minister has said in Istanbul.

Turkish media reports have identified the three as Mustafa Bal, Mehmet Bakir and Abdulselam Bakir, all Turkish Kurds from Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast.

The militants said they decided to free the Turks “after they pledged not to support the non-believers again”, meaning stop working for US forces.

“Please stop your silly (leaders) from cooperating with the occupying enemy, or else we will execute the punishment,” the statement added.

Earlier, another Turkish company had agreed to stop doing business with the US military in Iraq to win the freedom of two of their employees held hostage by militants who have threatened to behead them.

The two Turkish hostages were allowed to call their families to say they would be freed within a week after their company, Kayteks, agreed to the kidnappers’ demands to stop working as a contractor for the US military, CNN-Turk television reported.

The two hostages – Soner Sercali, an air conditioning repairman, and his co-worker Murat Kizil – were in good health, according to their family. They have been reported missing since June 1.

Sercali’s father Feridun said Kayteks had agreed to stop doing business in Iraq.