Turkish citizen kidnapped in Sarajevo rescued, returns to Istanbul

Muhammed Colak, a Turkish citizen who was abducted in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, by an unidentified group for ransom, has safely arrived in Istanbul.

Colak, who had traveled from Türkiye’s Gaziantep to Sarajevo for a vacation, was kidnapped by gang members and held hostage.

Following the incident’s circulation on social media, reports suggested that an Afghan gang was responsible for the abduction.

After six days in captivity, Colak was rescued through efforts by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was flown back to Istanbul.

He arrived at Sabiha Gokcen Airport today at 2:00 p.m. local time on a flight from Sarajevo.

‘We were subjected to violence’

Speaking about his ordeal, Colak recounted: “I went to Sarajevo for a vacation and was likely kidnapped by an Afghan gang, possibly with the involvement of some taxi drivers.

For the first two days, there was no mention of a ransom; we simply walked, crossing mountains, until we reached the Croatian border. There, they demanded that we call our families for ransom. After contacting our families, we were subjected to severe violence.”

“However, once the ransom was paid, the abuse stopped. I was held for about five or six days – I don’t remember exactly. They eventually released us on a mountain road. Thanks to the efforts of our Sarajevo Consulate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I was able to return safely to Türkiye. I thank everyone involved,” he added.