Muqtada al-Sadr Condemns Kidnapping of Turkish Workers in Baghdad

Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Shia Sadrist movement in Iraq, condemned the kidnapping of 18 Turkish workers in Baghdad that occurred last week in a message on Sunday, September 22. He emphasized his readiness to cooperate with the government for their release. Al-Sadr's message comes a day after a statement from Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a prominent Shia cleric in Iraq, who called for the freedom of the Turkish hostages. These workers were abducted by masked gunmen while working on a construction project in the Shia-majority Sadr City. Al-Sadr has significant influence among tens of thousands of his followers. His militia once controlled vast areas of Baghdad and participates in the defense of the city against militants from the group known as the Islamic State (ISIS). Over the past year, Shia militia groups have gained more power and influence due to their involvement in the fight against ISIS. However, various criminal groups in Baghdad have also armed themselves and engage in murder, kidnapping, and extortion. In a message to his followers published on various local Iraqi websites, al-Sadr stated, "Any political, financial, or tension-related motive behind this kidnapping is unacceptable, and I call for the release of these hostages in my name and on behalf of all peace and Islam lovers." On Friday, a video was released showing the 18 Turkish construction workers sitting in front of five masked gunmen. The producers of the video threaten Turkey that if their demands are not met, its interests across Iraq will be targeted. This three-minute video, which was posted online, shows the workers sitting in front of the gunmen, with a banner behind them displaying the famous Shia slogan "Labayk Ya Hussein" on one side and "Death Brigades" on the other. About ten days ago, Iraqi security forces raided the office of the militia group "Hezbollah Brigades" on suspicion of their involvement in the kidnapping, but the raid yielded no results. In the video, none of the masked gunmen speak, but demands are written on the screen, including: "Prevent the passage of fighters from Turkey to Iraq and Syria, stop the flow of stolen oil from the Kurdistan region to Turkey, and issue a command to end the siege of the two villages of Kefraya and Foua by the Jaish al-Fateh group." Reports have emerged accusing Turkish security organizations of turning a blind eye to the passage of fighters joining militia groups in Syria and Iraq. Additionally, the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq transports a significant portion of its oil to Europe via Turkey. Meanwhile, the two villages of Kefraya and Foua in Idlib province are besieged by the Jaish al-Fateh group, which is a coalition of some Islamist and non-Islamist militia groups. These two villages, located in northwestern Syria, are Shia-majority. On Saturday, a statement was published on Ayatollah Sistani's website condemning 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 stature and weakening the elected government." Ayatollah Sistani's office called on the government and political forces to support security forces in "preventing extralegal actions." Muqtada al-Sadr has supported the reform measures of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, which included the dismissal of several high-ranking officials, the removal of many officials from their positions, and the initiation of judicial investigations related to corruption. He has also urged his followers to participate in popular demonstrations to support these reforms.