Four French journalists held hostage in Syria by rebel militants for nearly a year walked to freedom on Saturday.<br/> <br />They were found blindfolded by Turkish soldiers on the Syrian border, their hands bound.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) FREED FRENCH JOURNALIST DIDIER FRANCOIS SAYING:<br/> <br />"I'm very happy to be free, thank you."<br/> <br />Didier Francois is a veteran war correspondent for Europe 1 radio. He and photographer Edouard Elias were taken captive in June.<br/> <br />Niolas Henin was working for Le Point magazine and Pierre Torres for the French-German tv channel Arte, when they were taken later that month.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) FREED FRENCH JOURNALIST DIDIER FRANCOIS SAYING:<br/> <br />"We are happy to be free and thank you very much. I mean, we thank the Turkish authorities because they really helped us. It is very nice to see the sky, to be able to walk, to speak freely and I am really happy."<br/> <br />French media reports they'd been kidnapped by the rebel group Islamic State of Iraq
