PKK releases kidnapped CGP deputy after two-day captivity

Terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Tuesday freed Turkish opposition lawmaker Huseyin Aygun whose surprise abduction over the weekend in the southeast province of Tunceli caused outrage in the country and fears of an escalating campaign of kidnapping and violence. The main opposition CHP's Aygun was kidnapped by PKK terrorists who set up a roadblock in Tunceli on Sunday. The PKK announced on Tuesday that they would release Aygun shortly. Aygun's relatives said the politician was with military police after the terrorists brought him through the mountains to within sight of a village, and left him to walk there himself. Aygun was released close to a Asagi Torunoba police post, some 6-7 km away from where he was kidnapped Sunday night. In the police post, Tunceli prosecutor phoned Aygun and asked if he wants to inform him about the abduction. He refused to testify about the details of his kidnapping and said he would later inform the security forces about the details. Tunceli governor's office offered a helicopter to take him to central Tunceli from the village where he was kidnapped but the CHP deputy refused the offer. The helicopter was pursuing the car of Aygun from the air. Aygun told a news conference in Tunceli later on Tuesday that his captors said they kidnapped him for “political propaganda.” He added that he didn’t receive any threats and that the captors were respectful to him. Aygun said his captors asked him to do politics without any party affiliation but he replied that this could not be possible “under the shadow of guns,” referring to pro-Kurdish politicians many argue largely influenced by the terrorist organization. Aygun said the incident was not aimed at his security and that “it was targeted to send a message to Turkish people.” He added that those who captured him were a group of young people and that he sensed most of them wanted to return home. While the terrorists have previously kidnapped soldiers, local politicians and tourists, this is the first time they have kidnapped a lawmaker. Most hostages have been released without harm. The terrorists are fighting for autonomy in the Kurdish-dominated southeast region and maintain bases in northern Iraq from where they launch hit-and-run attacks on Turkish targets. The group is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Aygun was elected to the Parliament to represent Tunceli, where he worked as a lawyer for 14 years. According to his website, his work focuses on human rights abuses, such as the forcible evacuations of Kurdish villages to deny support to the terrorists in rural areas, as well as torture cases. Security sources said about 200 specially trained soldiers were in the area in an effort to rescue Aygun.