Turkey said Thursday it is holding talks to secure the release of dozens of its citizens kidnapped by Islamist militants in northern Iraq amid international calls for their release.
Turkey said Thursday it is holding talks to secure the release of dozens of its citizens kidnapped by Islamist militants in northern Iraq amid international calls for their release.
"We are in touch with all the groups in Iraq including Kurds and Turkmens," a government official told AFP, without giving further details of which groups Ankara is talking to.
"We have stepped up our diplomatic initiative for the release of the kidnapped citizens."
Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on Wednesday abducted 49 people from the Turkish consulate in Mosul, including the head of the mission.
ISIL has also seized 31 Turkish truck drivers at a Mosul power station, drawing a promise of harsh reprisals from Ankara if any were harmed.
Turkey's Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, however, denied that the government is seeking a mandate from parliament to launch a military mission to rescue the victims.
"As far as I know I am unaware of any work on a mandate," he said.
"I don't know if the current mandate is sufficient. The government is of course evaluating these issues."
The current mandate, which expires in October, allows Ankara to order military strikes against Kurdish rebels holed up in northern Iraq.
Turkey's main opposition party withdrew Thursday a call for vote of confidence against the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying that events in Iraq require "unity and solidarity," a party official said.
Stressing the urgency of the situation, Akif Hamzacebi -- deputy head of the parliamentary group of the Republican People's Party -- said the unfolding events in Iraq "take precedence over Turkey's internal affairs." He also vowed that the opposition party will support the government in resolving the issue.
However, Hamzacebi added that the motion for a no confidence vote against the prime minister and for parliamentary inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption on him will be resubmitted at a future date.
The main opposition accuses Turkish prime minister of knowing in advance of alleged corruption by four of his former Cabinet members and abusing his position by knowing of the alleged graft and failing to act against it.
Former economy minister Zafer Caglayan, interior minister Muammer Guler and environment and urbanization minister Erdogan Bayraktar resigned from their posts after an anti-graft probe was launched on 17 December last year and former EU minister Egemen Bagis was discharged in a cabinet shake-up.
The main opposition also accuses Erdogan of blocking legal procedures against the four former ministers, and impeding the judicial process after the anti-graft probe.
