Davutoglu: 16 Turkish workers held in Baghdad return home

ANKARA

Sixteen Turkish workers, who were held captive by an armed Shia group earlier this month in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, have arrived in Turkish capital Ankara after their release.
The plane carrying sixteen workers landed at Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara on late Wednesday and will be hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Presidential Palace.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday there were no concerns over the workers' health condition.

In total, 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped earlier this month in a Baghdad suburb by an armed Shia group. Two of them, Necdet Yilmaz and Ercan Ozpilavci, were released on September 17.

According to a source at the Turkish Presidency, Erdogan gave instructions to bring the 16 freed Turkish workers back to Turkey aboard his own private plane "ANA".
Earlier, Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci had accompanied the released workers in a car from southern Iraq’s Basra region to the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad.
All the abducted Turkish workers were employees of Nurol Holding, a Turkish construction firm that is currently carrying out developmental projects in the Iraqi capital.
Earlier this month, a video appeared online showing the 18 abductees kneeling before five masked men brandishing guns. In the video, the abductees -- who include three engineers and an accountant -- gave their names and the names of their hometowns in Turkey.

ANKARA

In total, 18 Turkish workers were kidnapped earlier this month in a Baghdad suburb by an armed Shia group. Two of them, Necdet Yilmaz and Ercan Ozpilavci, were released on September 17.