The transfer of the citizen, who was not identified in the ministry statement, to the Turkish Embassy in Kabul was completed on Wednesday, the ministry said, while highlighting that both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had been involved with the issue from the beginning.
The issue was raised most recently by Davutoğlu during a bilateral meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai earlier this month, when the former went to Kabul to participate in a ceremony where Karzai was sworn in for a second term, the ministry said, while voicing appreciation for efforts by Afghan authorities to ensure the release of the Turkish citizen.
“The Turkish Republic has attached great importance to the establishment of an environment of peace and security throughout Afghanistan in the shortest period of time. With this in mind, our country's efforts for the reconstruction, improvement and security of Afghanistan will continue with determination in the future, just as in the past,” the ministry concluded.
The statement did not make clear who abducted the Turkish citizen and whether a ransom was paid for the release.
Criminals and armed bandits as well as Taliban insurgents have kidnapped dozens of foreigners in Afghanistan over the last few years. Most have been freed unharmed, but a few have been killed.
