Iraqi captors of Turk give 72 hour ultimatum: Web

Dubai, Sept 13: An Iraqi militant group holding a Turkish man hostage said in a statement posted on the Internet today it would kill him within 72 hours unless Ankara forces his company to shut down its operations in Iraq.

The little known Brigades of the Lions of Righteousness had kidnapped the man, named as Yildirim Tek, on July 27.

''... The Brigades of the Lions of Righteousness has decided to give the Turkish government 72 hours to close the Samawa-based firm where this employee works... or else he would be killed,'' said the statement posted on a site used by Islamist militant groups including al Qaeda.

On August 26, the group posted footage of Tek appealing to the Turkish government to help release him.

Tek then said he works for a Turkish firm he identified as Vinsan, an Ankara-based construction company. He said the firm had business in Samawa, Iraq.

Tek said he was not aware that Vinsan had business with U S forces until he came to Iraq.

The group has said the firm had business with U S forces in Iraq and described Tek's statement as a ''confession''.

In September 2004, another group kidnapped 10 Turkish men who were released in October after their company said it was suspending its operations in Iraq to save them.

More than 200 foreigners and thousands of Iraqis have been kidnapped since the US-led invasion in 2003. About 60 hostages have been reported killed by their captors.

REUTERS