Turkish envoy: Turkish workers safely evacuated from Fallujah, Ramadi

Over 100 Turkish citizens have been evacuated from Iraq's Fallujah and Ramadi in the last few days to safer regions, said Turkish Ambassador in Baghdad Faruk Kaymakci on Thursday. Fighting between the Iraqi forces and Islamic militants has hit the area over the last week, killing dozens and displacing most of the local residents. In a written statement, Kaymakci stated that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad and the Turkish Consulate General in Irbil made joints efforts to secure a smooth evacuation of Turkish workers in Iraq. "We extend our gratitude to the Iraqi authorities, local administrators, representatives of the tribes, and the representatives of Turkish firms in Iraq that provided support in the process of evacuation. We also thank the press members for their responsible attitude in consideration of the safety of our citizens," noted Turkish ambassador. Kaymakci also expressed sympathy for the evacuated Turkish citizens and their families. The Turkish Foreign Ministry earlier announced that it stepped in for the Turkish workers who felt uneasy amid the clashes ratcheting up between the Iraqi army and the tribes recently.