Turkey says negotiating for release of 80 hostages in Iraq

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is negotiating for the release of 80 nationals held by Islamist militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and cannot confirm reports that some of them have been freed, government officials said on Thursday.

"There are reports in the media about our citizens being released but we can't confirm these reports at this stage," a Turkish official said. "We have been holding negotiations since yesterday to secure our citizens and these negotiations are still ongoing."