Turkish officials successfully negotiated the release of 49 hostages captured during the ISIS capture of Mosul, at the Turkish consulate. The hostages had been held since June 11, and arrived at the Ankara Airport today.
The hostage situation had been a huge issue for the Turkish government, which had prevented most media coverage of the situation, and has cited the hostages as a reason not to take a bigger role in the US war on ISIS.
The terms of the release were not clear, but it was a negotiated settlement. Turkish officials claimed no ransom was paid, and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu praised the intelligence agency for securing the release.
Though some US analysts were quick to speculate the release of the hostages freed up Turkey to join the ISIS war, there is so far no indication that is the case, and it is unlikely ISIS would’ve willingly released the hostages in a way that would draw Turkey into the war against them.
