ISTANBUL, Sha'ban 14, 1435, Jun 12, 2014, SPA -- An official in the Turkish prime minister's office says that an intensive diplomatic effort is underway to free 80 Turkish citizens held by militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. According to AP, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because of the sensitivity of the issue, said that Turkish officials are talking directly with the militants in Mosul. The captives include 49 people seized in the Turkish consulate there Wednesday. The militants also seized 31 Turkish truck drivers in Mosul. On Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an emergency cabinet meeting while NATO's North Atlantic Council, the U.S.-led alliance's primary political decision-making body, met at Turkey's request for a briefing on the crisis. --SPA 19:25 LOCAL TIME 16:25 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w