The three men were kidnapped from eastern Agri Province on July 8, allegedly as a rebel protest against a German crackdown on supporters of the group, which is known as the PKK.

The men are said the three were in good condition and would return to Germany on Monday.

The climbers dined with Agri Gov. Mehmet Cetin at the police guest house in the city of Agri and told reporters that they were happy because "days filled with horror were over," the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the release, saying: "I am relieved."

"I want to thank everyone who played a role" in the release, she said.

The rebels have been fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey since 1984 in a campaign that has left tens of thousands of people dead. Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union consider the PKK a terrorist organization.

A PKK spokesman had said the group seized the climbers to force Germany to halt the crackdown on its supporters.

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