Turkish workers kidnapped in Iraq

ANKARA

A total of 18 Turkish workers have been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Wednesday.

According to Kurtulmus, the workers were employed with a Turkish construction company in Baghdad city.

Giving additional details, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said Wednesday that the kidnappers had specifically targeted Turkish employees, who were singled out from among other employees with different nationalities.

Bilgic said that those kidnapped included 14 workers, three engineers and an accountant.

The kidnapping incident occurred around at 3 a.m. (0000GMT) Wednesday, he added.

Nurol Holding also confirmed in a written statement Wednesday that 18 of its workers had been abducted by men in military uniforms that raided its construction site for a stadium project in Sadr city, a suburb of Baghdad.

On June 11 last year, 49 Turkish hostages -- diplomats, consular officials and their families -- were kidnapped from the Mosul consulate, a day after Daesh took control of Iraq's second-largest city.

ANKARA

A total of 18 Turkish workers have been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Wednesday.

According to Kurtulmus, the workers were employed with a Turkish construction company in Baghdad city.

Bilgic said that those kidnapped included 14 workers, three engineers and an accountant.

The kidnapping incident occurred around at 3 a.m. (0000GMT) Wednesday, he added.

On June 11 last year, 49 Turkish hostages -- diplomats, consular officials and their families -- were kidnapped from the Mosul consulate, a day after Daesh took control of Iraq's second-largest city.