World Bulletin / News Desk

A hostage being held along with 31 abducted Turkish truck drivers in Iraq by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has reportedly said the group demands $50,000 in ransom payments for each of the seized 28 trucks.

An official from the company operating the trucks, Mehmet Kizil, told Turkey's daily Hurriyet he was able to contact one of the kidnapped drivers through a phone call who said it was the new governor appointed by the rebel group who demanded the ransom.

“They want $50,000 for each truck. This is the last thing the soldiers told us,” the driver reportedly told Kizil.

After ISIL seized the Iraqi city, 49 staff members of Turkey’s Mosul consulate were also kidnapped by the rebels on June 11, along with the truck drivers.

Kizil also claimed that the ISIL had asked for $10 million from the company as soon as they seized the truck drivers, but officials initially denied any suggestion of ransoms being demanded.

Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, said on June 15 that the rebels had not demanded ransoms for the 80 abducted Turkish citizens, but added that “intense negotiations” were underway.