Turkish cameraman set free by captors in Syria

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? A Turkish cameraman captured by Syrian forces while covering fighting in the city of Aleppo has been released by his captors and would return to Turkey, a delegation negotiating his freedom told Turkish media on Saturday.

Cameraman Cuneyt Unal and reporter Bashar Fahmi ? a Jordanian citizen of Palestinian origin ? had been missing since August. They were believed to have been captured by Syrian government forces. Both were working for the U.S.-based Alhurra TV.

Opposition lawmaker Hasan Akgol said Saturday that Unal was in Damascus and would return to Turkey later in the day with a Turkish delegation that negotiated his freedom. There was no information on Fahmi's whereabouts.

Unal told Turkey's NTV television in a telephone interview that he and Fahmi were caught up in the fighting in the city of Aleppo on Aug. 20 that killed Japanese journalist Mika Yamamoto. He said that Fahmi was injured in the fighting.

Unal said he was captured by a group of people who later handed him over to Syrian government forces. Unal said he had been held locked up in a prison cell in Aleppo for the past three months but was not ill-treated. His captors even took him to hospital for treatment when he became ill, he told NTV television.

Unal, sounding emotional, said he was happy to be released but still "in shock."

"I didn't know I was going to be released until I saw the (Turkish) delegation in front of me. I cried," he said. "I missed my wife, my daughter and my family."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkish-cameraman-set-free-captors-syria-113722598.html

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