Iran releases second Turney letter

A second letter said to have been written by Royal Navy rating Faye Turney has been released by Iran, raising the stakes in the diplomatic dispute over the seizure 15 of the British Service personnel.

In the the hand-written note, Leading Seaman Turney is said to have called for the withdrawal from British troops from Iraq.

The letter, dated March 27, was addressed to "representatives of the House of Commons" and states: "Isn't it time for us to start withdrawing our forces from Iraq and let them determine their own future?"

Before the release of the second letter Tony Blair made clear his anger at the treatment of the 26-year-old mother-of-one.

He said: "I just think it's completely wrong, a disgrace actually, when people are used in that way. That's contrary to all international laws and conventions, and is not going to make any difference to us."

The Prime Minister said that the crisis could only be resolved by the release of all 15 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines seized on last Friday.

He continued: "The important thing is we just keep making it very, very clear to the Iranian government it is not a situation that will be relieved by anything but the unconditional release of all our people.

"What you can't do is end up negotiating over hostages, end up saying there's some quid pro quo or tit for tat; that's not acceptable.

"The important thing for us is to get them back safe and sound but we can't enter into some basis of bargaining."

Earlier, Iran said it would not free Leading Seaman Turney and blamed the British Government.

"The release of a female British soldier has been suspended," said Iran's Mehr news agency in a report quoting military commander Alireza Afshar.

"The wrong behaviour of those who live in London caused the suspension."

Leading Seaman Turney was seized along with 14 other British sailors and Marines by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard which accused them of trespassing into Iranian waters.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

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