Turk Shipping Magnate, 3 Others Kidnapped in Iraq

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041225/wl_nm/iraq_turkey_dc&cid=574&ncid=1480

ANKARA (Reuters) - Kidnappers have abducted a Turkish shipping magnate and three others in southern Iraq (news - web sites) and demanded a $25 million ransom, the Turkish private NTV television channel said on Saturday.


It said Kahraman Sadikoglu, one of Turkey's richest businessmen, had been seized in the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr alongside a boat captain and a driver, both Turks, and an unnamed bodyguard.

A video of Sadikoglu showed him being questioned by unseen kidnappers. "A group abducted us four or five days ago saying we did something wrong. They're investigating, but also look after us very well," Sadikoglu said.

Sadikoglu is head of Dubai-based International Marine Contractors which last year won a 92 million UAE dirham ($25 million) contract to remove 19 sunken ships from Umm Qasr.

"We brought food to this country, we enabled the delivery of food. We fed many hungry people. That is what we did. If this is a crime, then we are ready to be punished," he said.

This wasn't luck.