Iraqi kidnappers free Turkish hostage

Kidnappers have released a Turkish truck driver who had been held hostage in Iraq, al Arabiya television reported on Monday.

The Islamic militant group Nu'man Brigades kidnapped Mithat Civi on Saturday, who later appeared on a videotape.

The group asked the driver's employers to withdraw from Iraq within 48 hours or threatened to kill the hostage.

Civi's release came one day after Turkey's Renay International Transportation Company bowed to the kidnappers's demand and announced to withdraw from Iraq in order to secure the release of its employee.

The company, based in the southern Turkish city of Antakya, was the latest in a series of Turkish companies to pull out from Iraq to secure the release of kidnapped employees.