Turkish journalists held in Syria arrive home

Two Turkish journalists, namely, Adem Ozkose and Hamit Coskun, who went missing while reporting on the uprising in Syria two months ago, were released on Saturday with Iran's help. The journalists were first flown to Tehran, and then headed to Istanbul, where they were greeted by Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay on Sunday. Atalay welcomed the two journalists at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, saying that both Ozkose and Coskun witnessed a humanitarian tragedy in Syria during their 65 days there. "It is our wish to see the end of violence in Syria and all Syrians experiencing peace and tranquility. We are thankful to God to be able to welcome our two journalists back to Turkey," Atalay said. Ozkose and Coskun said they were detained by the pro-Assad Shabiha and that they thought they would not be able to return to Turkey for years. Ozkose also thanked President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH) Chairman Bulent Yildirim for their help.