Libyan armed militia raids Turkish hotel in Tripoli

TRIPOLI - Anatolia News Agency

Members of an armed militia raided a Turkish hotel in Libya on March 24, beating hotel staff and abducting the hotel manager. The hotel, one of the three largest hotels in Tripoli, was raided by an armed militia that abducted the hotel manager and seized the cameras and recorders of Anatolia news agency team staying at the hotel.

The militia took the hotel manager away to an unknown location, and forced the Anatolia team to hand over their equipment. Agency staff, who were not allowed to leave the hotel, informed officials in Turkish Embassy in Tripoli that they had been prevented from leaving their hotel.

Turkish Ambassador Ali Kemal Aydın, embassy officials and special police forces arrived at the hotel, and the Anatolia team and hotel personnel were evacuated. Aydın also managed to arrange the release of the abducted hotel manager.