Turkey's main opposition party criticized the ruling party's foreign policy Wednesday over the kidnappings of Turkish nationals in Iraq, claiming that the party remains silent on the events.
Militants linked with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, widely known as ISIL, abducted 49 people from the Turkish consulate in Mosul, one day after taking 31 Turkish lorry drivers hostage.
A crisis desk was established by Turkish Foreign Ministry to deal with enquiries, however, the Republican People's Party's deputy chairman and party spokesperson, Haluk Koc seeks information on the Turkish citizens and requests a statement from the ministry to inform the public.
Koc said that after Syria and Egypt, now Libya is on Turkey's black list, which shows that Turkey has become isolated in the Arab world.
A group of Turkish nationals have been evacuated from Libya and returned to Turkey after they were threatened with arrest over spying claims.
Koc said that the insistence on wrong foreign policy will draw Turkey into hazard, since the Middle East is in the middle of conflicts.
He commented that Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is "... like putty in Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's hands, for whom he even cannot call a 'terrorist organization'."
ISIL, who already control parts of Syria, have extended their reach into Iraq since June 10 when they seized Iraq's second-largest city Mosul and have captured a number of other cities in the north including Tikrit and Tal Afar. They also reportedly control Al Qaim, Rawah, Anah, Al Ratba and Haditha in the western province of Al Anbar.
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