Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused to elaborate yesterday on covert operations that he claimed had won the release by the Islamic State (Isis) group of 49 hostages in Iraq.

The hostages — 46 Turks and three Iraqis — were seized from the Turkish consulate in Mosul when Isis forces overran the city in June.

They were released and returned to Turkey on Saturday.

Turkey insisted that no ransom was paid, but it remains unclear why Isis agreed to let them go.

Mr Erdogan addressed hostages and their families yesterday, saying: “There are things we cannot talk about.

“Running the state is not like running a grocery store. We have to protect sensitive issues. If you didn’t, there would be a price to pay.”

Prime Minister Ahmet ­Davutoglu said on Saturday that the hostages’ release had been the work of the country’s intelligence agency rather than an operation by special forces.

“After intense efforts that lasted days and weeks, our citizens were handed over to us in the early hours and we brought them back,” he said.

Consul-general Ozturk Yilmaz, who had a gun put to his head to try to force him to make a statement, disclosed that they had been forced to watch videos of other hostages being beheaded.

“They liked to demoralise hostages,” he said, adding that, while his group had not suffered physical violence, it had been threatened.

Mr Yilmaz said that he had dismantled his telephone and kept it hidden from his captors, but did not explain how that may have helped the rescue.