Turkish businessman freed in Iraq

Kahraman Sadikoglu, who was abducted in southern Iraq in December, was freed late Monday night, according to a statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
After his release Sadikoglu was flown to Baghdad having spent the night at a British base in the southern Iraqi port of Basra, the Foreign Ministry said.
Sadikoglu, who is the president of the Tuzla Shipyard in Istanbul, will travel to Jordan later Tuesday and then return to Turkey from there, the statement said.
After his abduction, his kidnappers were reported to have demanded up to $25 million for Sadikoglu’s release. No details of the circumstances of his being freed have been made public.
At the time of his kidnap, Sadikoglu was overseeing salvage work in and around Basra.