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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Turkish hostages held by IS in Iraq released | Turkish hostages held by IS in Iraq released |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dozens of Turkish hostages seized by Islamic State (IS) in the north Iraqi city of Mosul in June are now back in Turkey, PM Ahmet Davutoglu says. | Dozens of Turkish hostages seized by Islamic State (IS) in the north Iraqi city of Mosul in June are now back in Turkey, PM Ahmet Davutoglu says. |
| The 49 hostages included diplomats and their families as well as soldiers. | The 49 hostages included diplomats and their families as well as soldiers. |
| They were seized from Turkey's consulate after IS militants seized Mosul in a rapid advance in June. | They were seized from Turkey's consulate after IS militants seized Mosul in a rapid advance in June. |
| Turkey has refused direct involvement in the military campaign against IS partly because of fears over the hostages' safety. | Turkey has refused direct involvement in the military campaign against IS partly because of fears over the hostages' safety. |
| Mr Davutoglu said that the hostages were all in good health and that they were released early on Saturday. | Mr Davutoglu said that the hostages were all in good health and that they were released early on Saturday. |
| They were being taken to the southern Turkish city of Sanliurfa by the Turkish intelligence agency, he added. | They were being taken to the southern Turkish city of Sanliurfa by the Turkish intelligence agency, he added. |
| "I am sharing joyful news which as a nation we have been waiting for,'' he said. | |
| "In the early hours our citizens were handed over to us and we brought them back to our country. They have crossed into Turkey and I am on my way to see them.'' | |
| Mr Davutoglu was cutting short a visit to Azerbaijan to meet the released hostages. | |
| He did not give details on the circumstances of their release. | |
| More than 30 Turkish lorry drivers, who were also seized in Mosul in June, were freed a month later but details of their release were also not made public. | |
| IS has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Estimates say the group could have up to 30,000 fighters. | IS has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Estimates say the group could have up to 30,000 fighters. |
| The US has carried out more than 170 air strikes against the jihadist group in Iraq since mid-August, supporting Iraqi government and Kurdish ground troops. | |
| French jets carried out their first strikes on Friday, hitting an IS depot in north-eastern Iraq. | French jets carried out their first strikes on Friday, hitting an IS depot in north-eastern Iraq. |
| Iran 'has role' | |
| More than 30 nations have joined a US-led coalition to take on IS militants, but Turkey has said it will only allow humanitarian and logistical operations from a Nato air base on its soil. | |
| Syria and Iran have been excluded from the coalition. | |
| However, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Iran still had a role to play in tackling IS. | |
| Chairing a meeting of the UN Security Council, Mr Kerry said the coalition was not only military in nature. | |
| "It's about taking out an entire network, decimating and discrediting a militant cult masquerading as a religious movement," Mr Kerry said. | |
| He added: "There is a role for nearly every country in the world to play, including Iran." | |
| On Thursday, the US Senate approved Mr Obama's plan to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels to fight IS. | |
| US air strikes are now expected in Syria, but Mr Obama said he will not authorise a ground operation in Iraq or Syria. |