Turkish Pilot, Copilot Kidnapped in Beirut’s Airport Road

Local Editor

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped Turkish Airlines pilot Murat Akpinar and his co-pilot Murat Agca early Friday, after they intercepted their bus on Beirut's airport road.
 According to media sources, the two Turkish citizens were heading to a hotel in Beirut, when two cars, a four-wheeler and a Kia picanto, intercepted their bus, dragged the pilot and his assistant out and kidnapped them to an unknown destination.

The driver of the Turkish Airlines bus, which had six people on board, is a man from Zaiter family who was questioned by police, media reported.
For his part, the Turkish Ambassador, Inan Ozyildiz, confirmed two of his country's citizens were kidnapped, saying he was following up the issue. He hoped that Lebanese authorities would work for their release.

Moreover, Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Levent Gumrukcu said "We immediately contacted the Lebanese authorities at every level ... and they are conducting a very comprehensive investigation."

AFP reported that caretaker interior minister Marwan Charbel had spoken with Turkey's ambassador and that an investigation was under way.
Charbel, according to the agency, also telephoned President Michel Suleiman to brief him about the inquiry.

 According to media, the incident is widely seen as related to the issue of the Lebanese pilgrims who were kidnapped by militants in Syria's Aleppo in May, last year, as they were returning to Lebanon from Iran.
11 Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped by the Syrian opposition in May 2012 in the Azaz district of Aleppo. Only two of the kidnapped Lebanese have been released.

Source: News Agencies, edited by website team