Turkish Hostage Paid Ransom to Iraqi Captors

A wealthy businessman said he paid $500,000 in ransom to Iraqi kidnappers to win his freedom after two months in captivity, the private NTV channel reported Thursday.

Kahraman Sadikoglu, president of the Istanbul-based Tuzla Shipyard, arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday.

The station reported that Sadikoglu said his kidnappers were only seeking money.

Sadikoglu was released late Monday and flown to Istanbul via Jordan and Baghdad after spending the evening at a British base in southern Iraq, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

Sadikoglu said he was kidnapped by former soldiers of deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

“They have never threatened me with death,” he said.

He was abducted after leaving the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Dec. 16.

Sadikoglu, who is in his mid-50s, is well known for salvaging ships around the world and restoring luxury yachts.

He is popular among many Turks for having renovated and rescued the Savarona, a luxury yacht that was bought by the government for the use of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.

The Savarona is listed as one of the world’s largest yachts.