Ayatollah Sistani Calls for the Release of Kidnapped Turkish Workers in Iraq

Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highest Shia authority in Iraq, called for the release of 18 Turkish workers who were kidnapped about a week ago in Baghdad by a Shia militia group. This request comes a day after a video was released in which a Shia group calling itself the 'Death Brigades' claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and outlined its demands. About a week ago, unidentified armed individuals kidnapped 18 workers from Turkey who were working on the construction of a sports stadium in the Shia-majority neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad. A statement published on Ayatollah Sistani's website condemned the kidnapping of the Turkish workers, describing it as 'an unethical act.' The statement characterized such actions as causing 'the collapse of the country's dignity and weakening the elected government.' Ayatollah Sistani's office urged the government and political forces to support security forces in 'preventing unlawful actions.' On Friday, a video was released showing the 18 Turkish construction workers. The producers of this video threatened Turkey that if their demands were not met, its interests across Iraq would be targeted. This three-minute video, which was posted online, shows the 18 Turkish workers sitting in front of five masked armed men. Behind the masked men, a banner is displayed with the famous Shia slogan 'Labayk Ya Hussein' on one side and 'Death Brigades' on the other. An official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Reuters that an investigation has begun regarding this incident. This official added, 'Our ministry, our embassy in Baghdad, and responsible organizations have started monitoring developments related to the workers since their kidnapping.' Last Friday, Iraqi security forces raided the office of the militia group 'Hezbollah Brigades' on suspicion of the group's involvement in the kidnapping, but the raid yielded no results. The demands presented in this video reflect a complex network of alliances and rivalries among the parties involved in the tensions in Iraq and the civil wars in Syria. In the video, the 18 hostages, kneeling, state their names and the provinces they come from in Turkey. One of the hostages addresses Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying, 'We foreign workers came here to earn our living; we are victims of some foreign policies, some actions that have no meaning.' In this video, none of the masked armed individuals speak. However, demands are written on the screen, including: 'Prevent the passage of fighters from Turkey to Iraq and Syria, prevent the passage of oil stolen from the Kurdistan region to Turkey, and issue an order to end the siege of the two villages of Kefraya and Foua by the Jaish al-Fateh group.' Turkey is accused of turning a blind eye to the passage of fighters to join militia groups in Syria and Iraq. Additionally, the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq sends a significant portion of its oil to Europe via Turkey. On the other hand, the two villages of Kefraya and Foua in Idlib province are besieged by the Jaish al-Fateh group, which is an alliance of various Islamist and non-Islamist militia groups. The video states, 'If Erdogan and his party do not pay attention to these demands, Turkey's interests and its mercenaries in Iraq will be destroyed in the harshest ways.' The video did not contain any direct threats to the workers and did not set a deadline for the implementation of the stated demands. The company that employed the workers has confirmed the identities of the hostages seen in the video. In this context, clashes continue in Kurdish areas of Turkey and between Iraqi security forces and the 'Hezbollah Brigades.' Ayatollah Sistani has called for the trial of Iraqi officials accused of corruption.