Militants in Iraq have seized 48 people from the Turkish consulate in Mosul today, according to Today´s Zaman and Reuters.
Today´s Zaman reports that those taken include the consul-general, three children and several Turkish special forces members. Turkish officials have confirmed that those taken were unharmed, and have been taken to a militant base. "Certain militant groups in Mosul have been directly contacted to ensure the safety of diplomatic staff," a Turkish government source said, adding there was no immediate information on the status of the diplomats.
Turkish media has reported that the country´s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has held an emergency meeting with the Undersecretary of Turkey's National Intelligence Agency (MIT) and Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay to discuss the situation.
According to Reuters, Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), seized Mosul Tuesday in an attack against Iraq's Shiite-led government.
