Iraq threat to kill Turkey worker

The Tawhid and Jihad group has claimed several hostage-killings

Iraqi militants say they will kill a Turkish hostage within 72 hours if his firm fails to withdraw staff from Iraq.

The private television news channel NTV showed a video of Aytullah Gezmen, who disappeared in Iraq last month with fellow Turkish worker Murat Yuce.

A video of Mr Yuce apparently being shot by his captors was shown on the internet on 2 August.

The company which employed the two men, Bilintur, claims it has already withdrawn employees from Iraq.

Plea

NTV said the video of Mr Gezmen was sent to the Turkish Ihlas news agency.

The Bilintur translator is heard on the tape describing how he and Mr Yuce were taking supplies from one US military base to another when they were taken hostage.

We are not there anymore. We want our friend to be released immediately Bilintur official

"While on our way we were captured by Iraqi mujahedeen," said Mr Gezmen.

"They asked us where we were going. We did not want to say, but they saw a paper in English in the car and asked again. Then we had to say the truth. We were then taken hostage."

NTV said Mr Gezmen also appealed to the Turkish prime minister for help.

Following Mr Yuce's shooting, the Ankara-based Bilintur catering company said it was pulling out its personnel from Iraq in order to save Mr Gezmen.

A company official told the Associated Press news agency on Thursday that he could not understand why the video had been broadcast now.

"We completed withdrawing all our staffers from Iraq on Sunday and have already announced this," he said.

"We have no one left in Iraq, except our friend Aytullah. We want those holding Aytullah to hear us: We are not there anymore. We want our friend to be released immediately."

In the video showing the death of Mr Yuce, the captors were standing in front of a banner which resembles that of Tawhid and Jihad - a militant group reportedly run by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian accused of a series of attacks in Iraq.