A video footage of Turkish Airlines (THY) pilots who were kidnapped by gunmen in Beirut in early August, was released by Lebanese television channel LCB on Tuesday, Today's Zaman reported.
THY pilot Murat Akpınar and his co-pilot, Murat Ağca, were kidnapped by gunmen near Beirut's international airport on the way to their hotel on Aug. 9. A group called Zuwwar Imam Ali al-Reda has claimed responsibility for the abduction and demanded that Turkey step up pressure on the Syrian opposition to release nine Lebanese Shiites who were kidnapped by opposition fighters in war-torn Syria last May.
Following the abduction of the pilots, Turkey announced a series of precautions for Turkish civilians and officials. Ankara issued a travel warning after the pilots' abduction, urging Turkish citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon and advising those already in the country to return.