Turkiye monitoring kidnapping of Turkish citizens in Haiti

By Behlul Cetinkaya

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye's Embassy in Dominican Republic, which is accredited to neighboring Haiti, continues to monitor the hijacking of a passenger bus in Haiti including at least eight Turkish citizens, said diplomatic sources on Monday.

Eight Turkish citizens travelling in a passenger bus in Haiti were kidnapped on Sunday, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Following a Monday Cabinet meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters that a dedicated group has been set up to arrange for the rescue of the kidnapped Turkish citizens.

"We are monitoring the situation. A crisis desk has been set up in Haiti," he said.

Saying that he has spoken to both Turkiye's envoy in the Dominican Republic as well as Haiti's foreign and interior ministers, Cavusoglu noted that ransom is being considered as the reason motivating the kidnapping.