ASSESSMENTS
Turkey and Iran Bargain Over Hostages
Aug 14, 2013 | 10:45 GMT
(STR/AFP/GettyImages)
Summary
Turkey has requested Iran's assistance in freeing two Turkish civilian pilots, according to an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman. The pilots were recently kidnapped in Lebanon by Shiites trying to negotiate the release of nine Shiite Lebanese hostages currently being held by Sunni rebels in Syria. The sectarian complexity overlaying the incident and the circumstances of the kidnapping points to Hezbollah's likely involvement in the operation. Iran will now use Turkey's appeal for help to improve its regional position before it attempts another round of negotiations with the United States.
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