Release of public officials welcomed by Arinc, Guler

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc yesterday shared his happiness with the release of eight Turkish public officials, who have been captured by the outlawed PKK, have arrived at their homes safe and sound.  "In line with the information we receive, the process is progressing in a normal way. In our previous statement, we have said that this would happen on Tuesday evening or Wednesday," Arinc said. Speaking to reporters, Interior Minister Muammer Guler said that he considered the release as humanitarian. "We consider their contributing behaviors in the course of their release as positive, but the fact that they have been kidnapped is not humanitarian. This is the restriction of freedom, which should never be approved. It should never happen again. Those who make efforts on the issue should increase their efforts so that such terrorist and armed activities are stopped," Guler said.