Dozens of Turkish hostages, held by Islamic State militants for three months after being seized in Iraq, have returned to home soil.<br /><br />The captives – seized at the Turkish consulate in Mosul in June – included Consul General Ozturk Yilma and other diplomats, soldiers and two young children.<br /><br />The Turkish government said the hostages were all Turkish consulate employees: 46 Turks and three Iraqis. <br /><br />Turkish media reported that all 46 Turks had arrived in Turkey.<br /><br />Ankara said a ransom was not paid, but did not provide details about the circumstances about the release.<br /><br />The freed hostages were transported through Syria to the southern Turkish city of Sanliurfa, where they were met by prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu.<br /><br />“Today is a festive day not only for you (freed hostages) and your families, but for the whole nation,” Davutoglu said in Sanliurfa.<br /><br />Davutoglu then travelled on with the freed hostages to the Turkish capital Ankara, where they were reunited with relatives at the airport.
