TIG Post

Tag: Turkey

  • Ablakwa engages Turkish Ambassador on higher quota of scholarships for Ghanaian students

    Ablakwa engages Turkish Ambassador on higher quota of scholarships for Ghanaian students

    Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to deepening diplomatic and economic relations with Türkiye following a productive meeting with the Turkish Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Hüseyin Güngör.

    The discussions centered on expanding mutually beneficial projects between the two nations, strengthening cooperation, and increasing the number of scholarships available for Ghanaian students in Türkiye.

    Highlighting the strong partnership between Ghana and Türkiye, Ablakwa recalled the successful completion of major projects, including the award-winning Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport in 2016, as a testament to the fruitful collaboration between the two countries.

    “We welcome the global community to partner with us in resetting Ghana,” he stated in a social media post.

    With both nations keen on exploring new areas of cooperation, the meeting is expected to pave the way for more investments, infrastructure development, and educational opportunities for Ghanaians.

  • We’re committed to enhancing bilateral relation – Turkish Ambassador to Energy Minister

    We’re committed to enhancing bilateral relation – Turkish Ambassador to Energy Minister

    Turkey’s Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Huseyin Gungor, has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with Ghana, particularly in the energy and sustainability sectors.

    During a courtesy call on the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, the Ambassador highlighted the longstanding cooperation between Turkey and Ghana, emphasizing the need for deeper collaboration in tackling global challenges like climate change and energy security.

    “Turkey, as a development partner, is committed to enhancing this relationship through the efforts of institutions such as TIKA, which continues to carry out impactful projects, as well as through the active presence of Turkish NGOs on the ground,” he remarked.

    Touching on trade and investment, the Ambassador revealed that bilateral trade between the two nations currently stands at approximately $700 million. He noted that Turkey was the second-largest investor in Ghana in 2023, with major companies such as Yilport, Cimpor, and Karpowership actively contributing to the local economy.

    To further boost economic cooperation, he advocated for the establishment of double taxation agreements, investment promotion frameworks, and the creation of a joint economic cooperation council to facilitate trade and SME collaboration.

    Minister John Abdulai Jinapor, in response, expressed appreciation for Turkey’s continued support in Ghana’s energy sector and underscored the importance of international partnerships in achieving a successful energy transition.

    “As we navigate the challenges of energy transition, collaboration on innovative technologies and policies is essential to reducing losses in the distribution sector. We will learn from Turkey and focus on renewable energy to address both energy needs and environmental concerns more effectively,” the Minister stated.

    Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing dialogue and cooperation, recognizing the opportunity to leverage each country’s expertise in addressing energy transition challenges.

    The meeting marks another step in strengthening Ghana-Turkey relations, reinforcing a shared vision for a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.

  • Chief of Adana Demirspor resigns after team exits the pitch in protest

    Chief of Adana Demirspor resigns after team exits the pitch in protest

    Bedirhan Durak, chairman of Adana Demirspor, announced his resignation. This decision came just a day after the team walked off the field in protest during their Super Lig match against Galatasaray, on Monday morning.

    “I now sadly see that we have reached a deadlock. For the sake of my club, my family, my loved ones, and my health, I hereby announce my resignation from the presidency,” Durak said in a statement.

    Adana Demirspor’s recent resignation stemmed from their dramatic decision to walk off the field 30 minutes into their Super Lig match against Galatasaray on Saturday night, trailing 1-0 due to a penalty. The match was subsequently abandoned.

    According to several club officials, the walk-off was a protest against Turkey’s referees committee and the football federation.

    Adana Demirspor, who are at the bottom of the table, were trailing to a 12th-minute penalty scored by Galatasaray’s Spanish striker, Álvaro Morata.

    Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk suggested in a post-match interview that the penalty decision might have been incorrect.

    In response to the incident, Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilıcalı has called for “the most famous and best referees in the world” to officiate the league derby at Galatasaray scheduled for February 23.

    “We definitely hope that there will be a foreign referee in the derby, but the federation will decide … Our federation has such power,” Ilıcalı said.

    “They can bring one of the best referees in the world here. I am calling out to Galatasaray Club on behalf of Fenerbahçe Club: We followed your statements on the foreign referee issue. Let them apply on this issue, let us apply as well. And we want this derby to be managed by the most famous and best referees in the world.”

  • This is the current state of former CHelsea boss Roman Abramovich

    This is the current state of former CHelsea boss Roman Abramovich

    Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is still living in Turkey after being hit with sanctions, and his £500 million ($610 million) superyacht remains marooned.

    After Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union and the UK government imposed sanctions on Abramovich. As a result, he agreed to sell Chelsea for £2.35 billion ($2.87 billion) to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. However, the money from the sale is reportedly frozen in a bank account and hasn’t been used.

    Although Abramovich continues to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, The Telegraph reports that his freedom to travel the world has been greatly restricted. For now, he is based in Turkey because he can no longer take his usual winter trips to the Caribbean, which were once a big part of his European lifestyle.


    The Telegraph claims that Abramovich’s grandest boat, the £500m Eclipse, is moored in “comparatively modest surroundings” on Turkish water. His other vessels are also sat unused after seeing private and professional lives turned upside down.

    Abramovich is said to still be worth £7.96 billion ($9.7bn), but he has been forced to set up camp in Turkey amid reports of initially moving into a waterfront property that came with a $40,000-a-month rental bill before basing himself in a sprawling villa that can be found in the upmarket district of Vanikoy on the banks of the Bosporus.

    Abramovich had declared “I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person” when severing ties with Chelsea, but that would appear to have become a distant dream for a man no longer able to travel in style while moving whenever and wherever he wants.

  • Netherlands defeats Turkey to secure a semi-final spot in 2024 Euros

    Netherlands defeats Turkey to secure a semi-final spot in 2024 Euros

    The Netherlands staged a comeback to defeat Turkey and secure a spot in the Euro 2024 semi-finals against England.

    Turkey initially took the lead with Samet Akaydin heading in Arda Guler’s cross, celebrating fervently with the Turkish fans.

    However, an own goal by Mert Muldur under pressure from Cody Gakpo helped the Dutch level the score.

    The Netherlands, who had struggled in the first half, improved significantly after the break. Stefan de Vrij equalized with a header, and substitute Wout Weghorst’s defensive efforts and offensive presence were pivotal.

    Weghorst’s influence was immediate, as he bolstered the Dutch attack and provided crucial defensive support.

    Despite Turkey nearly doubling their lead when Guler’s free-kick hit the post, they failed to capitalize on their chances.

    As the Netherlands held on, goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a crucial save, and De Vrij blocked several attempts. Turkey’s substitute Bertug Yildirim was sent off for dissent, adding to their woes.

    The match ended with Dutch players celebrating their hard-fought victory, while Turkey reflected on their missed opportunity to advance.
    The Netherlands will now face England in Dortmund, with the winner set to play either France or Spain in the final.

  • UEFA launches inquiry into Turkey’s Demiral for his Euro 2024 celebration

    UEFA launches inquiry into Turkey’s Demiral for his Euro 2024 celebration

    UEFA has initiated an investigation into Turkey defender Merih Demiral’s actions following allegations of inappropriate behavior during his celebration after scoring a goal at Euro 2024.

    Demiral scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Austria on Tuesday, securing a spot in the quarterfinals.

    Following his second goal, Demiral appeared to make a hand gesture associated with the Turkish ultra-nationalist organization Ulku Ocaklari, also known as the Gray Wolves.

    UEFA confirmed on Wednesday that it had appointed an inspector to look into the matter, without specifying a timeline for the investigation.

    Turkey’s next match is against the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday.

    Demiral had previously been among 16 Turkish players cautioned in 2019 for making military-style salutes during games, coinciding with a Turkish military operation in Syria.

    The Gray Wolves group is banned in France, and Austria prohibits the Gray Wolf salute, widely recognized among Turkish nationalists.

  • Turkey beat Czech Republic to secure last-16 tie against Austria

    Turkey beat Czech Republic to secure last-16 tie against Austria

    Turkey secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic, thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Cenk Tosun, setting up a last-16 tie against Austria in the European Championship.

    The game, held under sunny skies in Hamburg, Germany, was marked by high tension and an unprecedented number of cards, totaling 18, setting a new record for disciplinary actions in a European Championship match.

    The Czech Republic entered the match needing a win to avoid elimination, but their hopes took a severe blow midway through the first half when Antonin Barak was sent off for a second yellow card offense.

    Despite being down to ten men, the Czechs fought valiantly and managed to equalize after Hakan Calhanoglu had given Turkey the lead with a precise strike into the bottom corner early in the second half.

    West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek leveled the score for the Czech Republic with a volley from close range, setting the stage for a tense and open-ended finish as both teams pushed for a decisive goal.

    It was Turkey who ultimately found the breakthrough deep into stoppage time when Tosun skillfully cut inside and fired a shot past the Czech goalkeeper, sparking wild celebrations among the Turkish players and fans.

    The match concluded in chaotic scenes as players from both sides clashed, resulting in another red card for the Czech Republic as Tomas Chory was sent off. Despite the ill-discipline and the heated atmosphere, Turkey emerged victorious and secured their spot in the knockout stages.

    Turkey’s triumph over the Czech Republic adds another chapter to their Euro history, recalling their memorable comeback victory over the same opponent in the 2008 tournament.

    With their passionate fans behind them, Turkey now looks forward to facing Austria in the round of 16, aiming to continue their impressive campaign in the European Championship.

  • VIDEO: Woman caught stealing beef, turkey wings, cans of sardine from employer on second day of employment

    VIDEO: Woman caught stealing beef, turkey wings, cans of sardine from employer on second day of employment

    An employer has shared footage detailing how her employee stole from her barely a week after being employed.

    She caught her employee stealing on camera on January 30th, which was day 2 of her employment.

    “She stole 2 beef and turkey wings from her freezer,” she said.

    According to the employer, she had already fed her employee with breakfast and lunch. But the employee decided to keep her lunch and not eat it.

    “I gave her breakfast. I gave her Koko, I bought her doughnut. When she got her lunch, maybe she felt she didn’t need to eat it. She wanted to send it home. I don’t know.

    “I gave her jollof with egg. Maybe the egg was not enough for her.”

    She wondered if her staff’s thirst for more protein led her to steal so much food from her.

    “..or she needed more protein she couldn’t ask me for, but she had to go steal two beef and turkey wings from the deep freezer,” she noted in disappointment.

    The employee also allegedly stole some cans of sardines on her day two heist.

    According to the employer, the culprit had started stealing the very day she started work and had been doing so until the third day when she confronted her.

    Watch the video below.

    @mariamsenouu My Employee steals from the first day of employment. Second day, steals thrice. ##ghana #fouryoupage #trending ♬ original sound – mariamsenou
  • “Race against time” to rescue labourers from mine in Turkey

    “Race against time” to rescue labourers from mine in Turkey

    Many rescuers are still looking for nine gold miners who disappeared after a landslide in eastern Turkey.

    About 10 million cubic meters of dirt fell from a gulley onto the Copler mine site on Tuesday.

    Four people, including the manager of the pit, have been taken into custody for investigation.

    There is also worry that harmful chemicals could escape from the area and cause a bigger environmental problem.

    Former Turkish leader Binali Yildirim went to the mine and said that some workers got away when the ground fell, but they can’t find nine workers.

    “Mr Yildirim said that despite a big effort to act quickly, the conditions are not good for us to help because the incident is very serious. ”

    Five workers are trapped in a container, three in a vehicle, and one in his truck at a different part of the site.

    The Copler mine is one of Turkey’s biggest and is in Erzincan province, about 90km from the provincial capital Erzincan and over 600km east of Ankara.

    While trying to rescue people, officials are also working to calm fears that cyanide and many other chemicals used in gold mining could move from the site into the nearby Euphrates River. This river goes into Syria and Iraq before flowing into the Persian Gulf.

    Turkey’s environmental ministry is checking the Euphrates River for chemicals. They have not found any pollution yet.

    The pipes that carry water from the stream to the river have been closed for safety.

    Mehmet Torun, who used to be the president of the Chamber of Mining Engineers, told the BBC in Turkey that they warned about the gold mine many times.

    Mr Torun said that a gold mine in Erzincan is very dangerous because it is close to an active fault line and only 300m away from the Euphrates River.

    He said it was a really bad thing for the environment.

    We are actually putting harmful substances into the river that has been supplying water to Mesopotamia for many centuries.

    I want to think there is no leakage, but I’m not sure how sure we can be.

    Binali Yildirim said the chemicals were kept in a different place from where the landslide occurred.

    The group of Turkish engineers and architects, including the Chamber of Mining Engineers, want the Copler mine to be closed forever.

    Attempts were made in 2022 to close it down after a poison gas leaked.

    Anagold Mining company got a big fine of 16. 5 million Turkish lira (£428,000; $536,000) for breaking rules. But they can still keep the mine open.

    SSR Mining, which partly owns Anagold, stopped making gold at the site after a landslide on Tuesday.

    SSR’s shares, which are bought and sold on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges, went down by more than half in value on Tuesday.

    In the past few years, there have been many accidents in Turkish mines. In 2022, 42 people died in a coal mine explosion.

  • Turkey mourns tens of thousands of people killed in earthquake last year

    Turkey mourns tens of thousands of people killed in earthquake last year

    Many people in Turkey felt sad on Tuesday because they remembered the more than 53,000 people who died in an earthquake there a year ago.

    The government organized some events to remember the big disaster that happened a year ago in southern Turkiye. They are calling it the “Disaster of the Century. ”

    In Antakya, which is the main city in the southern province of Hatay, upset crowds pushed and shoved with the police while officials were taken to the events. The mayor was told to quit by people shouting at him, and the health minister was booed when he spoke.

    In the fog by the Orontes River, people were chanting “Can anyone hear me. ” and “We won’t forget, we won’t forgive,” echoing the voices of those who died in a building collapse last year.

    “Mustafa Bahadirli, who is 24 years old and lives in Antakya, said that some people were buried alive. ” We used to call the government ‘father’, but now we feel like we don’t have a father in the government anymore. We were left alone for many days and are still alone.

    Sebnem Yesil, who is 22 years old, said bad things about the government and also about opposition politicians like Savas, the mayor.

    She said she thinks they have been very rude. “It’s been a year, and now they’ve finally arrived for a ceremony. ” You didn’t listen to us, you didn’t give us any help, at least let us mourn.

    After a short time of quiet at 4:17 in the morning. To remember when the earthquake happened, people threw flowers into the river and a band played a song for the people who were hurt.

    Hatay, a place between the Mediterranean Sea and the Syrian border, was the most damaged out of 11 provinces in the south when a very strong earthquake hit. The earthquake killed over 59,000 people, including 6,000 in Syria.

    People in Adiyaman walked quietly in a group, going past a clock tower that has been showing the time of the earthquake for a year.

    President Erdogan supervised a housing lottery for new homes in the city of Kahramanmaras, which was at the center of the earthquake. He also checked the progress of rebuilding the city and relocating thousands of people who are still living in tents and temporary shelters.

    “Today, we are having a lottery for 9,289 houses in Kahramanmaras and giving the keys to the new owners,” Erdogan said. He said the government wants to build 200,000 homes in the area affected by the earthquake by the end of the year.

    Then the families chosen to receive new homes were called on stage to get the keys from Erdogan. The event was shown on TV all over the country.

    Earlier, at 4:17 in the morning, Erdogan wrote on social media that the pain of the disaster still hurts, but he is grateful that the country has passed the test.

    Other politicians from a different party are also going to the area. The leader of the Republican People’s Party, Ozgur Ozel, will be at the events in Hatay, and then he will go to Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras.

    Schools were shut down for the day in many provinces affected by the earthquake. The governor in Malatya stopped people from having marches or public events for three days, unless they were officially approved.

    At the same time, Mads Brinch Hansen, who is in charge of the Red Cross team in Syria, said few things look good for fixing the country after the earthquake.

    “We don’t have enough money to consider doing bigger rehabilitation and reconstruction,” he said.

  • Turkey and Syria’s recovery from the February 2023 earthquake: Challenges and achievements

    Turkey and Syria’s recovery from the February 2023 earthquake: Challenges and achievements

    In February 2023, a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, leaving behind a trail of destruction and heartbreak. As these two neighboring nations embark on the road to recovery, they face a multitude of challenges and have made significant achievements in rebuilding their shattered communities.

    The earthquake, with its epicenter in eastern Turkey, resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and widespread infrastructure damage. With limited resources and a complex geopolitical landscape, both countries are now navigating the daunting task of reconstruction.

    From mobilizing international aid to coordinating local efforts, Turkey and Syria are making strides toward rebuilding homes, schools, and essential utilities. Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and volunteers have come together to offer assistance and support to affected communities.

    However, the road to recovery is far from easy. Challenges such as funding constraints, bureaucratic hurdles, and ensuring the psychological well-being of survivors loom large.

    This article explores the challenges and achievements in Turkey and Syria’s recovery process after the February 2023 earthquake. From understanding the scale of the disaster to examining the innovative solutions implemented, we shed light on the arduous journey towards rebuilding and healing.

    Overview of the Damage Caused by the Earthquake

    The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023 left a devastating impact on both countries. With its epicenter in eastern Turkey, the quake resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including homes, schools, and vital utilities.

    Photo by Doruk Aksel Anıl: Hatay Earthquake

    The affected regions were left in ruins, with entire communities displaced and struggling to cope with the aftermath of the disaster.

    The scale of the destruction was immense, with buildings reduced to rubble, roads and bridges collapsed, and essential services disrupted. The earthquake not only claimed lives but also shattered the social fabric of the affected regions, leaving survivors traumatized and in desperate need of support.

    Challenges in the Recovery Process

    The recovery process in Turkey and Syria has been fraught with numerous challenges. One of the primary hurdles faced by both countries is the lack of adequate funding. Rebuilding entire communities and infrastructure requires substantial financial resources, which are often limited in the aftermath of a disaster.

    Bureaucratic hurdles have also posed significant challenges. The coordination and implementation of recovery efforts involve multiple government agencies, non-profit organizations, and international stakeholders. Streamlining these processes and ensuring effective collaboration can be a complex task, further delaying the recovery process.

    Another critical aspect of the recovery process is addressing the psychological well-being of the survivors. The earthquake left many individuals traumatized, with deep emotional scars that require attention and support. Providing mental health services and counseling to the affected population is crucial in ensuring their long-term well-being and facilitating the healing process.

    Government Response and Initiatives for Recovery

    The governments of Turkey and Syria have taken active steps to address the challenges posed by the earthquake and facilitate the recovery process. Both countries have established dedicated government agencies responsible for coordinating and overseeing the rebuilding efforts.

    In Turkey, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has been at the forefront of the recovery process, working closely with local authorities and international organizations. The government has implemented strict building codes and regulations to ensure the construction of earthquake-resistant structures, aiming to minimize the impact of future disasters.

    Syria, despite facing political and economic challenges, has also made progress in its recovery efforts. The Syrian government has prioritized the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, such as water and electricity networks, to restore essential services to the affected regions. Government-led initiatives have focused on providing temporary shelter, healthcare services, and education facilities to displaced communities.

    International Aid and Support for the Affected Regions

    The international community has played a crucial role in supporting Turkey and Syria’s recovery process. Various countries, non-governmental organizations, and international bodies have extended financial assistance, technical expertise, and humanitarian aid to the affected regions.

    International aid has been instrumental in addressing immediate needs, such as emergency medical assistance, food, and clean water. Additionally, foreign governments and organizations have partnered with local authorities to provide resources for long-term reconstruction, including funding for housing, infrastructure, and sustainable development projects.

    Collaboration between local and international stakeholders has been essential in leveraging expertise and resources to accelerate the recovery process. Non-profit organizations have been actively involved in providing on-ground support, including emergency relief, medical services, and psychological counseling to survivors.

    Infrastructure and Housing Reconstruction Efforts

    Rebuilding infrastructure and housing has been a significant focus of the recovery process in Turkey and Syria. Efforts have been made to restore damaged roads, bridges, and utilities, ensuring the efficient functioning of essential services. The construction of earthquake-resistant buildings has also been prioritized to mitigate future risks.

    In Turkey, the government has implemented innovative approaches to housing reconstruction, such as the use of prefabricated structures. Prefabricated housing offers a cost-effective and rapid solution to provide temporary shelter to displaced communities while permanent housing is being constructed.

    Syria, with its extensive urban damage, has faced unique challenges in rebuilding its cities. The government has worked closely with international experts to develop urban planning strategies that prioritize safety, accessibility, and sustainability. Efforts are underway to restore public spaces, revitalize neighborhoods, and create resilient communities.

    Economic Recovery and Rebuilding Local Businesses

    The earthquake’s impact on the local economy has been significant, with businesses and livelihoods disrupted in the affected regions. Economic recovery has been a crucial aspect of the overall recovery process in Turkey and Syria.

    Both countries have implemented measures to support local businesses and stimulate economic growth. In Turkey, the government has provided financial assistance and tax incentives to affected businesses, encouraging them to resume operations and contribute to the recovery efforts.

    Syria, despite the ongoing conflict, has also taken steps to rebuild its economy. The government has focused on creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and attracting investments to the affected regions. Efforts have been made to provide microfinance opportunities and vocational training to empower individuals and rebuild livelihoods.

    Rehabilitation of Healthcare and Education Systems

    The earthquake severely impacted healthcare and education systems in the affected regions. Hospitals and medical facilities were damaged, leaving communities without access to essential healthcare services. Schools and educational institutions were also destroyed or rendered unsafe, disrupting the education of thousands of children.

    Rehabilitating healthcare and education systems has been a top priority for Turkey and Syria. Both countries have worked towards restoring healthcare facilities, ensuring the availability of medical supplies, and training healthcare professionals to address the increased demand for services.

    In the education sector, efforts have been made to rebuild schools and provide temporary learning spaces for children. Access to quality education is seen as crucial for the long-term recovery and development of the affected regions. Innovative solutions, such as mobile classrooms and distance learning programs, have been implemented to ensure continued education.

    Environmental Impact and Conservation Efforts

    The earthquake’s impact extended beyond human lives and infrastructure, affecting the environment and natural resources. The destruction of ecosystems, soil erosion, and potential hazards posed by damaged infrastructure have raised concerns about the long-term environmental impact.

    To address these challenges, Turkey and Syria have focused on implementing sustainable and eco-friendly practices in the recovery process. Efforts have been made to restore and conserve natural habitats, promote reforestation, and mitigate the risks of future disasters through better land management and urban planning.

    Conservation organizations and environmental experts have collaborated with local authorities to develop strategies that balance the need for reconstruction with environmental preservation. The integration of green infrastructure and sustainable design principles in rebuilding efforts has been crucial in creating resilient and environmentally conscious communities.

    Achievements and Lessons Learned from the Recovery Process

    Despite the numerous challenges, Turkey and Syria have achieved significant milestones in their recovery process. The communities have shown resilience and strength, coming together to rebuild their lives and support each other in times of adversity.

    From the establishment of efficient coordination mechanisms to the implementation of innovative solutions, the recovery efforts have showcased the determination and resourcefulness of the affected regions. The international community’s support and collaboration have also played a vital role in accelerating the recovery process.

    The recovery process has provided valuable lessons for future disaster preparedness and response. The importance of early warning systems, robust infrastructure, and community engagement in disaster management has been emphasized. The need for stronger international cooperation and support in times of crisis has also been highlighted.

    As Turkey and Syria continue their journey towards recovery and healing, the challenges may persist, but the achievements attained thus far serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of unity in the face of adversity.

     

  • Remembering Turkey’s catastrophic earthquake: A year later

    Remembering Turkey’s catastrophic earthquake: A year later

    Today marks the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that shook Turkey to its core, and TIGPost takes a dive into the aftermath of the earthquake.

    February 6, 2023, is a date etched into the collective memory of nationals, residents, people who had relatives in Turkey and the global community alike. 

    At exactly 04:17 TRT (01:17 UTC), a Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria.

    In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake were scenes of chaos and devastation as buildings crumbled, streets buckled, and many lives were tragically lost.

    The toll was staggering, with thousands injured and many displaced, and families torn apart by the merciless force of nature.

    Although the earthquake’s epicenter was far from Ghana’s shores, the loss of Christian Atsu brought the devastation closer to home. Atsu was a remarkable player whose presence on the football field brought joy and inspiration to countless fans. 

    His talent transcended borders and was prior to his demise playing for Hatayspor in Turkey, but unfortunately he lost his life in the incident. 

    As a result, Ghanaians joined the global community in mourning the lives lost and extending support to those affected by the disaster.

    The confirmed death toll in Turkey was 53,537; estimates of the number of dead in Syria were between 5,951 and 8,476. 

    The February 6, 2023, earthquake has been recorded as the deadliest earthquake in what is now present-day Turkey since the 526 Antioch earthquake and the deadliest natural disaster in its modern history.

    Yet, amidst the rubble and despair, ordinary people became heroes, as they risked their lives to save others trapped beneath the debris. 

    Communities came together, offering shelter, food, and support to those in need. International organizations also came on board to support.

    In the days and weeks following the earthquake, the world rallied behind Turkey, offering aid, assistance, and solidarity. 

    International relief efforts poured in, with teams of rescuers, medical professionals, and humanitarian organizations working tirelessly to provide relief and support to the affected communities.

    Challenges in the Recovery Process

    The recovery process in Turkey and Syria has been fraught with numerous challenges. One of the primary hurdles faced by both countries is the lack of adequate funding. Rebuilding entire communities and infrastructure requires substantial financial resources, which are often limited in the aftermath of a disaster.

    Bureaucratic hurdles have also posed significant challenges. The coordination and implementation of recovery efforts involve multiple government agencies, non-profit organizations, and international stakeholders. Streamlining these processes and ensuring effective collaboration can be a complex task, further delaying the recovery process.

    Another critical aspect of the recovery process is addressing the psychological well-being of the survivors. The earthquake left many individuals traumatized, with deep emotional scars that require attention and support. Providing mental health services and counseling to the affected population is crucial in ensuring their long-term well-being and facilitating the healing process.

    Government Response and Initiatives for Recovery

    The governments of Turkey and Syria have taken active steps to address the challenges posed by the earthquake and facilitate the recovery process. Both countries have established dedicated government agencies responsible for coordinating and overseeing the rebuilding efforts.

    In Turkey, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has been at the forefront of the recovery process, working closely with local authorities and international organizations. The government has implemented strict building codes and regulations to ensure the construction of earthquake-resistant structures, aiming to minimize the impact of future disasters.

    Syria, despite facing political and economic challenges, has also made progress in its recovery efforts. The Syrian government has prioritized the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, such as water and electricity networks, to restore essential services to the affected regions. Government-led initiatives have focused on providing temporary shelter, healthcare services, and education facilities to displaced communities.

    International Aid and Support for the Affected Regions

    The international community has played a crucial role in supporting Turkey and Syria’s recovery process. Various countries, non-governmental organizations, and international bodies have extended financial assistance, technical expertise, and humanitarian aid to the affected regions.

    International aid has been instrumental in addressing immediate needs, such as emergency medical assistance, food, and clean water. Additionally, foreign governments and organizations have partnered with local authorities to provide resources for long-term reconstruction, including funding for housing, infrastructure, and sustainable development projects.

    Collaboration between local and international stakeholders has been essential in leveraging expertise and resources to accelerate the recovery process. Non-profit organizations have been actively involved in providing on-ground support, including emergency relief, medical services, and psychological counseling to survivors.

    Infrastructure and Housing Reconstruction Efforts

    Rebuilding infrastructure and housing has been a significant focus of the recovery process in Turkey and Syria. Efforts have been made to restore damaged roads, bridges, and utilities, ensuring the efficient functioning of essential services. The construction of earthquake-resistant buildings has also been prioritized to mitigate future risks.

    In Turkey, the government has implemented innovative approaches to housing reconstruction, such as the use of prefabricated structures. Prefabricated housing offers a cost-effective and rapid solution to provide temporary shelter to displaced communities while permanent housing is being constructed.

    Syria, with its extensive urban damage, has faced unique challenges in rebuilding its cities. The government has worked closely with international experts to develop urban planning strategies that prioritize safety, accessibility, and sustainability. Efforts are underway to restore public spaces, revitalize neighborhoods, and create resilient communities.

    Economic Recovery and Rebuilding Local Businesses

    The earthquake’s impact on the local economy has been significant, with businesses and livelihoods disrupted in the affected regions. Economic recovery has been a crucial aspect of the overall recovery process in Turkey and Syria.

    Both countries have implemented measures to support local businesses and stimulate economic growth. In Turkey, the government has provided financial assistance and tax incentives to affected businesses, encouraging them to resume operations and contribute to the recovery efforts.

    Syria, despite the ongoing conflict, has also taken steps to rebuild its economy. The government has focused on creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and attracting investments to the affected regions. Efforts have been made to provide microfinance opportunities and vocational training to empower individuals and rebuild livelihoods.

    Rehabilitation of Healthcare and Education Systems

    The earthquake severely impacted healthcare and education systems in the affected regions. Hospitals and medical facilities were damaged, leaving communities without access to essential healthcare services. Schools and educational institutions were also destroyed or rendered unsafe, disrupting the education of thousands of children.

    Rehabilitating healthcare and education systems has been a top priority for Turkey and Syria. Both countries have worked towards restoring healthcare facilities, ensuring the availability of medical supplies, and training healthcare professionals to address the increased demand for services.

    In the education sector, efforts have been made to rebuild schools and provide temporary learning spaces for children. Access to quality education is seen as crucial for the long-term recovery and development of the affected regions. Innovative solutions, such as mobile classrooms and distance learning programs, have been implemented to ensure continued education.

    Environmental Impact and Conservation Efforts

    The earthquake’s impact extended beyond human lives and infrastructure, affecting the environment and natural resources. The destruction of ecosystems, soil erosion, and potential hazards posed by damaged infrastructure have raised concerns about the long-term environmental impact.

    To address these challenges, Turkey and Syria have focused on implementing sustainable and eco-friendly practices in the recovery process. Efforts have been made to restore and conserve natural habitats, promote reforestation, and mitigate the risks of future disasters through better land management and urban planning.

    Conservation organizations and environmental experts have collaborated with local authorities to develop strategies that balance the need for reconstruction with environmental preservation. The integration of green infrastructure and sustainable design principles in rebuilding efforts has been crucial in creating resilient and environmentally conscious communities.

    Achievements and Lessons Learned from the Recovery Process

    Despite the numerous challenges, Turkey and Syria have achieved significant milestones in their recovery process. The communities have shown resilience and strength, coming together to rebuild their lives and support each other in times of adversity.

    From the establishment of efficient coordination mechanisms to the implementation of innovative solutions, the recovery efforts have showcased the determination and resourcefulness of the affected regions. The international community’s support and collaboration have also played a vital role in accelerating the recovery process.

    The recovery process has provided valuable lessons for future disaster preparedness and response. The importance of early warning systems, robust infrastructure, and community engagement in disaster management has been emphasized. The need for stronger international cooperation and support in times of crisis has also been highlighted.

    As Turkey and Syria continue their journey towards recovery and healing, the challenges may persist, but the achievements attained thus far serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of unity in the face of adversity.


  • Tragic shooting at Istanbul church leaves one dead

    Tragic shooting at Istanbul church leaves one dead

    One person was killed in a tragic incident at the Santa Maria Church in the Sarıyer neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey when two masked attackers opened fire during a Sunday service.

    The terrible incident happened in the Büyükdere area at around 11:40 a.m. local time.

    Declaring his disapproval of the horrific deed, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya declared that a thorough investigation would be launched in an attempt to identify and capture the attackers.

    Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc joined in condemning the attack, revealing that the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor and two additional public prosecutors were assigned to delve into the incident.

    Minister Tunc emphasised the ongoing efforts to identify and apprehend the suspects, assuring that the investigation was being conducted with meticulous attention to various facets.

    The motive behind the attack remains unknown as authorities work diligently to bring those responsible to justice.

  • Parliament of Turkey supports Sweden’s NATO membership

    Parliament of Turkey supports Sweden’s NATO membership

    Turkish lawmakers have approved Sweden’s request to join Nato in a vote that was delayed for a long time. This is a major step for Sweden in becoming a member of the organization.

    Sweden asked to join in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, but Turkey didn’t agree because they thought Sweden supported Kurdish separatists.

    Turkish President Erdogan will probably approve the law in a few days.

    Hungary is the only NATO member that hasn’t approved Sweden joining.

    Swedish leader Ulf Kristersson said on social media that Sweden is getting closer to joining Nato.

    Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was happy that Turkey voted in favor. He hopes that Hungary will also approve it soon.

    Hungary says Sweden is being unfriendly. In March, a Hungarian government spokesperson named Zoltán Kovács said that officials in Sweden think they are better than others, but their reputation is not as strong as they think. Stockholm said Hungary is not following the EU’s rules about democracy.

    But, there have been some improvements. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asked the Swedish Prime Minister to come to Budapest for a visit and talk about how they can build more trust between their countries.

    Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said he doesn’t think there is a need to talk to Hungary right now, but they can still have a conversation and talk about things in the future.

    Turkey stopped Sweden from joining until July, when they finally agreed. On Tuesday evening, politicians voted 287-55 in favor of Sweden being a member. President Erdogan is likely to approve the new law.

    Turkey said that Sweden was providing shelter to Kurdish fighters, and they should work harder to stop rebel groups like the PKK, which Turkey sees as a terrorist organization. The EU and US both say the PKK is a terrorist group.

    Turkey, as a member of Nato, can stop other countries from becoming members.

    Sweden made stricter laws in June to stop terrorism. It’s now against the law to help terrorist groups with money or support.

    Sweden and Finland, who were neutral, said they want to join Nato in May 2022. This was after Russia invaded Ukraine. Finland officially joined the alliance in April, making the alliance’s border with Russia twice as long.

  • Turkey targets 29 locations in Syria and Iraq

    Turkey targets 29 locations in Syria and Iraq

    Today, we are mostly concerned about the violence in Yemen and Gaza, but there is also fighting happening in other nearby areas, even though it is not connected.

    After nine of its soldiers were killed at an Iraqi military post, Turkey’s defense ministry says it launched airstrikes on “terrorist targets” in Syria and Iraq all night.

    The report says that the attacks targeted 29 places like caves, bunkers, and oil sites that belonged to two groups the YPG and PKK which Turkey thinks are terrorist groups.

    Turkey has been fighting a long war against the PKK, a group seen as terrorists by many Western countries, like the US and the UK.

    More update on this story soon.

  • Turkish earthquake trial for school volleyball team’s fatal hotel collapse

    Turkish earthquake trial for school volleyball team’s fatal hotel collapse

    The trial for the earthquake in Turkey has started. It is looking at the collapse of a hotel where 72 people died.

    The hotel in the southeast city of Adiyaman had a school volleyball team from Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus and some tourist guides when the earthquake happened last year.

    Eleven people have been accused of not following the construction rules.

    Over 50,000 people died in the earthquake that happened on February 6 in Turkey and Syria.

    About 160,000 buildings fell down or were very broken, making 1. 5 million people have no home anymore.

    The Turkish government said a few weeks later that they were checking many people and had arrested nearly 200 people, including builders and property owners.

    39 people from Famagusta Turkish Education College, including boys, girls, teachers, and parents, were in Adiyaman for a volleyball tournament when the earthquake happened.

    They chose the seven-story Isias Grand hotel and had 40 tourist guides there for training.

    39 people from Famagusta, including a group of girls and a group of boys from Famagusta Turkish Education College.

    The Isias was a famous hotel in Adiyaman, but it fell down suddenly.

    Four parents were the only people left from the volleyball team. They were able to get out of the broken buildings, but 35 people, including all the kids, died.

    Rescue teams from Famagusta came to get the bodies, and people who survived said Turkish officials didn’t do anything to help.

    Family members of the people who died went to Adiyaman for the beginning of the trial on Wednesday. They want the 11 people on trial to receive strict punishments, and they also want Turkish officials who approved the hotel to be charged.

    The hotel has been open since 2001. Experts found that the columns holding up the hotel were made from a mix of gravel, sand, and other materials from the nearby river.

    In 2016, the hotel added more floors without the proper permission, according to the charge.

    “They didn’t make a hotel, they made a place to bury a lot of people. ” Pervin Aksoy Ipekcioglu, a mother, said she cannot accept what happened to her 14-year-old daughter Serin.

    Parents of the high school sports team are outside the court in Adiyaman, Turkey on 3 January 2023.


    The government checked the hotel many times and said it’s really good with four stars. Then it fell down and 72 people died. She said to BBC Turkish that the person who did this should be punished.

    The big number of buildings that fell down in the earthquake on 6 February made a lot of people angry at the Turkish government. They were blamed for letting too many buildings be built and not making sure they followed the rules for construction. The rules had been made stricter after other disasters, but they were still not being followed.

    “Safiye Cevik blames the person in charge of Isias Hotel for her daughter Nehir’s death. ”

    “She said you should be punished for intentionally killing someone, and you will get what you deserve. ”

    If found guilty, the 11 people could be sentenced to spend between two years and eight months to more than 22 years in prison.

  • Suicide bomb attack target Turkey’s interior ministry

    The interior minister of Turkey has labeled the explosion that occurred outside the country’s interior ministry in the capital city of Ankara as a “terrorist attack.”

    According to Ali Yerlikaya, two assailants arrived at the scene in a commercial vehicle at approximately 09:30 local time (06:30 GMT) and executed the attack, resulting in injuries to two police officers. Yerlikaya explained that one attacker detonated an explosive device in front of a ministry building, while the other was “neutralized.”

    The explosion unfolded shortly before the parliament was scheduled to reconvene. The identities of the attackers remain unknown, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

    A senior Turkish official informed Reuters news agency that the attackers had seized the vehicle and killed its driver in Kayseri, a city located 260 kilometers (161 miles) southeast of Ankara.

    One of the injured officers sustained shrapnel wounds, and initial media reports mentioned gunfire heard in the vicinity.

    In response, emergency services swiftly arrived at the scene, with police cordoning off several nearby roads.

    “Our struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralised,” Mr Yerlikaya wrote on social media.

    Ankara’s police force has stated that they are conducting “controlled detonations” of “suspicious packages” as a precautionary measure to avert potential further explosions.

    President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to address the parliamentary session later on the same Sunday.

    During the autumn session, the Turkish parliament is anticipated to officially approve Sweden’s entry into NATO.

    In July, Turkey withdrew its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership after months of disagreements, primarily centered on accusations of Sweden harboring Kurdish militants.

    Previously, militants, primarily associated with the banned Kurdish Workers Party, were responsible for frequent attacks throughout the country.

    In response, the authorities have applied substantial pressure, including the incarceration of its leaders and military operations targeting Kurdish bases within Turkey and across the borders in Syria and Iraq.

  • Turkey to ‘step up’ its diplomacy in Ukraine conflict

    Turkey to ‘step up’ its diplomacy in Ukraine conflict

    Turkey’s leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says he will increase his efforts to bring an end to the war.

    He explained that Turkey has been working to continue discussions between Russia and Ukraine since the war started. But now, Turkey will increase its efforts even more, focusing on Ukraine’s independence and keeping its borders intact.

    Erdogan and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky plan to meet in New York during the UN summit.

  • Trade between Ghana, Turkey projected to reach US$1b by 2027

    Trade between Ghana, Turkey projected to reach US$1b by 2027

    The Ghana-Turkey Chamber of Commerce anticipates that the annual trade value between Ghana and Turkey will reach US$900 million by the end of 2025, and it is poised to surpass the US$1 billion mark by the close of 2027.

    In 2020, the total trade value between Ghana and Turkey amounted to US$771 million, marking a significant increase from the US$479 million recorded in 2016. Notably, in 2019, Ghana became Turkey’s third-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. However, trade experienced a decline in 2021 and 2022 due to prevailing global conditions.

    Dr. Daniel Amateye Anim-Prempeh, the CEO of the Chamber, emphasized that while the current trajectory of trade between the two nations is promising, strengthening relations and expanding trade areas are essential factors that will accelerate its growth.

    “The pandemic further solidified this relationship, as during its peak, Turkey became Ghana’s second most important trading partner… It is expected that Ghana’s trade volume will increase 200 percent by 2025,” he said in reference to a partnership agreement signed in 2020.

    In the past, Ghana’s major exports to Turkey have predominantly consisted of cocoa beans, cocoa paste, and soybeans, exhibiting a steady annualized growth rate of 11.3 percent. Conversely, Turkey has primarily exported cement, pasta, and building materials to Ghana.

    However, it’s worth noting that the exchange of services between the two countries has remained relatively limited. As a result, Dr. Anim-Prempeh emphasized the significant opportunities available for Ghanaian businesses within Turkey’s dynamic manufacturing sector.

    “Turkey produces high-quality goods at competitive prices, and its strategic location makes it a very competitive country to do business with,” the Chamber’s CEO explained.

    Nevertheless, he recognized certain obstacles, including delays in the processing of entry clearances and the imposition of high visa fees, which can hinder smooth business transactions.

    “In every endeavour there are bottlenecks; simply put challenges, feedback and complaints from Ghanaian businesses are that it takes time for the embassy in Accra to process their entry clearance. Equally, we have received complaints from our Turkish counterparts about high visa fees charged by our embassy in Ankara. To my mind, such developments may impede the smooth facilitation of business transactions,” he elaborated.

    Chamber’s role

    The Ghana-Turkey Chamber of Commerce is actively engaged in promoting and streamlining trade between the two countries, he further noted.

    Dr. Anim-Prempeh underscored his organization’s endeavors to establish strategic partnerships with governmental bodies, including the Ministry of Trade and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.

    “We are fostering relationships with the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Association of Ghana Industries and the Importers and Exporters Association, as well as other key associations and individual businesses within the economy. With our Turkish counterparts, the Chamber has worked with the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEiK) and other Turkish National Chambers, and is still taking steps to enhance relationships that will facilitate trade between the two countries. Our focus is also on attracting Turkish firms to establish their presence in the economy, thereby creating direct employment for Ghanaians,” he explained.

    Moreover, the Chamber is actively promoting education ties. Turkey offers quality higher education, and the Ghana-Turkey Chamber of Commerce is organising education fairs for Turkish universities in Ghana that encourage students to consider Turkey as an attractive educational destination.

    This comes as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Turkey in Ghana has already made an impact, with revenue from Turkish companies operating in various sectors and investments estimated at US$112million.

    The Chamber hopes to attract more Turkish firms, particularly in the manufacturing sector, to capitalise on Ghana’s stable political environment, favourable investment laws and growing business environment, he added.

    Tourism

    Tourism is seen as another avenue to strengthen bilateral relations. Both countries boast rich cultural, historical and tourist sites.

    Dr. Anim-Prempeh noted that Turkey hosted about 51.7 million tourists in 2019, and emphasised the potential for medical, sports and business tourism. Collaboration in this sector, including efforts by Turkish Airlines aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to visit Turkey, is expected to enhance bilateral relations.

    “My visit to Turkey put me in a position to boldly state that they have developed their tourist sector with first-class roads to the tourist sites, and available and affordable hotels for all levels of income – hence the need to learn and leverage on it. Medical, sports and business tourism is an area worth considering. Indeed, it is estimated that Turkey is one of the prominent health tourism destinations in the world – which operates about 1,500 world-class hospitals and about 160,00 doctors, making it capable of providing high-standard health care delivery,” he further stated.

  • American cave rescuer says it’s amazing to be above ground

    American cave rescuer says it’s amazing to be above ground

    A difficult and complicated mission to rescue an American man from a very deep cave in Turkey ended successfully on Tuesday. The man had fallen very sick and was too weak to get out of the cave by himself.

    Mark Dickey, who is skilled and knowledgeable in cave exploration, had joined a group of researchers to explore Morca Cave. While they were there, it was reported that Mark started experiencing bleeding from his stomach and intestines.

    The cave is in the Taurus Mountain range in southern Turkey. It goes very deep, reaching 1,276 meters (4,186 feet).

    A big rescue operation was started with many experienced cave explorers from different countries and Turkish experts.

    Recep Salci from Turkey’s disaster management authority said on Tuesday that Mark Dickey is safe and appears to be fine, as shown in a video of him being carried out of the cave with a smile.

    Dickey, who was at a medical tent near the cave, expressed how grateful he felt to be back on the earth’s surface. He thanked the rescue teams and the Turkish government for saving his life without asking any questions.

    “I stayed underground for a lot longer than I thought because of a surprise health problem,” he explained.

    I’m not exactly sure what happened, but I do know that the Turkish government acted quickly to provide the medical supplies I needed. In my opinion, their fast response saved my life. He said, “I was almost at the edge. ”

    Dickey’s mom and dad, Debbie and Andy, were very happy about the successful rescue. They said that knowing their son was safe made them feel really relieved and happy.

    “They said it was an event that everyone involved in the big rescue effort worked very hard for. They also said that many people helped a lot, and they thanked the Turkish government. ”

    They said that Mark is very strong and we believe in his strength. But we also knew that he urgently needed a lot of support right away.

    Dickey got stuck in a cave that has very steep holes, deep pits, and narrow paths. Agnes Berentes, a photographer from Hungary who had been in the cave, shared this information with Reuters.

    The temperatures underground were cold and wet. Berentes thought it was about 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit).

    In addition to other problems, his health was worsened by having a serious bleeding in his stomach. At one time, he was very sick to the point where doctors and rescuers had to give him someone else’s blood while he was deep inside the cave.

    The European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) was notified on September 2 about Dickey’s difficult situation.

    This caused a big rescue effort with more than 200 helpers from countries like the US, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine.

    ECRA officials said that the rescue efforts were split into seven sections at different depths. The teams worked nonstop and were able to move Dickey to a depth of 180 meters (590 feet) underground. Finally, they successfully brought him out of the cave.

    The Turkish Caving Federation said that Dickey was safely taken out at 12:37 am on Tuesday.

    A doctor was with Dickey in the cave. The rescue teams got constant updates from them using a communication line.

    In the pictures, it shows him lying down and being rescued by workers using special equipment.

    Dickey is a person who has been teaching others to rescue people stuck in caves for ten years. He has gone into caves in 20 different states in the U. Sand 10 different countries. He started a non-profit organization called the Caving Academy to help people who explore caves.

    He began exploring caves in the 1990s and held positions as a secretary at the European Cave Rescue Association and as the executive director at the Caving Academy.

    Correction: We fixed the title of this story to say how much time Dickey was stuck for.

  • Turkish crypto executive sentenced to 11,196 years in jail

    Turkish crypto executive sentenced to 11,196 years in jail

    A person from Turkey who is in charge of a digital currency and his two brothers have been sent to prison for a very long time, each serving 11,196 years. They did this because they stole lots of money from people who had invested in their business.

    Faruk Fatih Ozer, who is 29 years old, ran away to Albania in 2021 when his Thodex exchange crashed unexpectedly and took the money invested by people.

    He was sent back to Turkey in June and was found guilty of moving illegal money, tricking people, and being part of a criminal group.

    Ozer said in court that if he had intended to commit a crime, he would not have acted in such an unprofessional way, according to the news.

    “I can lead any organization in the world because I am intelligent,” as reported by the Anadolu agency.

    “It can clearly be seen in this company I started when I was 22 years old. ”

    The short trial in Istanbul also decided that his sister Serap and brother Guven are also guilty of the same accusations.

    Turkish news agencies reported that the people accused were given separate punishments for many crimes against 2,027 individuals, resulting in the total number of years in the sentence.

    Long prison terms like this are normal in Turkey since they got rid of the death penalty in 2004.

    Adnan Oktar, a religious leader with a TV show, was sent to prison in 2022 for a really long time (8,658 years) for tricking people and committing sexual crimes. Ten people who follow him were given the same punishment.

    Prosecutors wanted Ozer to go to jail for a really long time, about 40,562 years, according to AFP.

    Turks started using cryptocurrencies to protect themselves from the falling value of their currency, the lira, which started about two years ago.

    Thodex was started in 2017 and became one of the biggest platforms in the country for trading virtual currencies.

    Ozer became well-known across the country for being very talented with finances. He succeeded in becoming part of the influential group of people who supported the government by making friends with important figures.

    However, the platform unexpectedly fell apart in April 2021. The money that the investor had is gone and Ozer is now hiding.

    He got arrested in Albania last year because Interpol wanted him. He was sent back to his home country after a long legal process.

    Turkish news outlets said that Ozer ran away with assets valued at $2 billion.

    The prosecutor’s charges say that Thodex investors have lost 356 million liras in total.

    That sum of money was valued at about $43 million when the exchange crashed.

    The value of the same amount has increased to about $13 million due to rapid inflation and the decline of the lira in international markets.

  • US citizen trapped in Turkish cave says he is well as rescue efforts go on

    US citizen trapped in Turkish cave says he is well as rescue efforts go on

    An American man got sick while exploring a very deep cave in Turkey. He said he is feeling okay, while rescuers are working hard to bring him back to the surface.

    According to the Turkish Caving Federation, Mark Dickey got sick over the weekend while exploring the Morca Sinkhole in southern Turkey. Doctors think he might have bleeding in his stomach.

    Dickey got sick 1,120 meters below the surface and was taken to the camp at 1,040 meters for monitoring. The federation said this on Twitter and mentioned that about 150 rescuers are working on a difficult operation to save him.

    In a video posted by Turkey’s communication agency on Wednesday, Dickey said that he was in a dangerous situation but the fast actions of Turkish authorities probably saved his life.

    As you can tell, I am awake, wide awake, and speaking. “But I haven’t healed emotionally yet, so I will need a lot of support to leave this place,” he said, expressing gratitude for the caving community.

    This is a chance for people in the caving community to demonstrate how well people from different countries can collaborate. I want to see lots of people from different countries coming together. We look after our own people. “And it feels great to have someone taking care of you. ”

    The rescue mission, which was first talked about on Monday, might take several days because the cave is deep and narrow, according to Bulent Genc, who leads the federation. Genc told CNN on Thursday that even in perfect conditions, it could take an experienced caver 15 hours to reach the surface.

    A difficult rescue mission is happening deep underwater. The European Cave Rescue Association is helping and they said that it is not common to have rescues like this. They need to have experienced rescuers to help with the mission. They found out on Saturday that Dickey has bad stomach pain.

    Gretchen Baker, who works with the National Cave Rescue Commission and has known Dickey for a while, has been talking to the rescue team. She is somewhat hopeful that Dickey will be able to come out of the cave safely.

    During an interview with CNN’s Isa Soares on Thursday, Baker said that the people at the location are glad to see that Mark’s condition is getting better. It seems that he won’t have to be carried out on a rescue stretcher the entire way.

    She said that if he can help more, the rescue will be faster.

    Despite Dickey’s getting better, Baker said that even with his help, the rescue operation still has a long way to go.

    “She said it will take several days to rescue him from the cave. ”

  • Turkey unintentionally ‘declares war’ on Russia in front Putin

    Turkey unintentionally ‘declares war’ on Russia in front Putin

    The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, unintentionally seemed to start a war with Russia because of a mistake in translation during a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

    The translator at a meeting in Sochi said that Russia and Turkey are fighting each other in a war.

    Turkey is a member of Nato, and if this statement is accurate, it would cause a big war all over the world.

    But Putin, who was there to talk about the Black Sea Grain agreement, seemed unfazed by the apparent mistake.

    The interpreter made a mistake, causing Turkey’s president to say he is going to start a war with Russia.
    It was not clear if the male interpreter was from Russia or Turkey, but the official meeting record showed that the translator, not Erdoğan, had made the mistake.

    The Turkish president told Putin that the current situation between Ukraine and Russia is the reason for their visit.

    And your invitation – we are happy that we got your invitation. My group is happy to have gotten this invitation.

    The meeting was organized to make an agreement on the Black Sea grain initiative, which aims to provide food to the poorest countries in the world.

    Putin told Erdoğan that Russia is willing to provide Turkey with up to one million tons of grain at a lower price. Russia sees Turkey as a middleman between them and the western countries.

    The meeting was an uncommon visit for a foreign leader to Russia. Putin is feeling more and more alone because of the violent war he is having with Ukraine.

    In March, the ruler of a country was given a legal order to be arrested by an international court for doing bad things during the war in Ukraine. This makes it hard for him to go to other countries.
    Some believe that the reason for holding the summit in Sochi was because of this, while others argue that it is a way for Putin to hide his rumored health issues.

    Putin said during his press conference that he feels like he was tricked by the West regarding the grain export deal. He also reiterated that Russia would only participate in the deal again if the West stops limiting the export of Russian agricultural products to the world.

    “The dictator said that our Western partners cheated on us once again, which is something that normally happens. ” ‘And they didn’t keep their promise – once more. ‘

    Another agreement made with the United Nations asks for easier conditions to help Russia export food and fertilizers.

    Erdoğan suggested that Ukraine should be less strict in its negotiations with Russia for reviving the deal. He also advised Ukraine to send more grain to Africa instead of Europe.

    ‘Ukraine needs to be more flexible in its approaches so that it is possible to take collaborative actions with Russia,’ he told reporters.

    The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Ukrainian TV that Kyiv will not change its position but will consider what Turkey has said about the talks in Sochi.

    Kuleba said that we should not keep being controlled by Russia’s threats and manipulation. Russia causes problems and then expects others to fix them.

    We will protect our beliefs and stand up against sanctions on Russia.

  • UK and Turkey join forces against ‘people-smuggling gangs’

    UK and Turkey join forces against ‘people-smuggling gangs’

    The UK and Turkey have reached a new agreement to combat people-smuggling networks as well as address illegal migration.

    The partnership involves establishing a “centre of excellence” in Turkey to enhance collaboration and intelligence-sharing between law enforcement agencies.

    The deal aims to disrupt the supply chain of parts for small boats used in illegal crossings through Europe.

    However, the agreement does not include provisions for returning failed Turkish asylum seekers.

    The centre of excellence, to be set up by the Turkish National Police, will facilitate the rapid sharing of intelligence, enabling swift actions based on information received.

    Additional officers will be deployed to Turkey to facilitate cooperation between the UK’s National Crime Agency, Home Office staff stationed in the country, and their Turkish counterparts.

    A memorandum of understanding will also expedite the exchange of customs data and intelligence.

    The Home Office emphasized that small boats and their components play a crucial role in smuggling operations, with hundreds of parts estimated to be transported across Europe each year for this purpose.

    While there has been an increase in the number of Turkish nationals crossing the English Channel to the UK in recent months, Turkey and the UK lack a formal returns agreement.

    However, there are indications that progress might be made in this area during the upcoming UK-Turkey Migration Dialogue meeting scheduled for the autumn in London.

    The European Union has a returns agreement with Turkey, which facilitates the return of migrants crossing into the EU from Turkey.

    Since Brexit, the UK is no longer part of such arrangements between EU countries and other nations.

    Immigration Minister Mr. Jenrick stated that the UK’s previous experience with returns arrangements within the European Union was not satisfactory.

    While the UK desires to collaborate with the EU, there is a recognition that previous arrangements had shortcomings.

    In response, Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, advocated for a fresh and all-encompassing agreement involving the European Union, France, and neighboring countries.

    Cooper emphasized the need for enhanced security cooperation with European partners to effectively address the challenges posed by people-smuggling networks.

    Home Secretary Suella Braverman reiterated the UK’s commitment to combating people smuggling and illegal migration.

    She emphasized the necessity of dismantling people-smuggling gangs and preventing illegal crossings, echoing the government’s stance on prioritizing efforts to address these issues.

    The UK aims to strengthen its security cooperation with European partners and combat the activities of people-smuggling gangs in collaboration with Turkey and other countries.

    “As I’ve made clear, we must do everything we can to smash the people smuggling gangs and stop the boats,” said Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

    Our law enforcement agencies will be able to collaborate on this global issue and address the small boat supply chain thanks to our collaboration with Turkey, a close neighbour and ally.

  • ISIL announces successor of dead leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi

    ISIL announces successor of dead leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi

    The death of the ISIL leader, Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, who was killed by Turkey in April, has been confirmed by the group.

    The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) has announced Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi as his successor.

    The group revealed on Thursday that their leader was eliminated during direct clashes with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham faction in Idlib province, located in the rebel-held northwestern region of Syria.

    The announcement was delivered by an ISIL spokesperson through a recorded message on the Telegram messaging app, though the exact date of his demise was not provided.

    In April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced that Turkish intelligence had successfully targeted the leader in Syria.

    After a swift ascent in 2014, during which it captured extensive territories in Iraq and Syria, ISIL faced a series of military campaigns that led to the collapse of its self-proclaimed “caliphate.”

    The group’s rule was characterized by acts of brutality such as beheadings and mass shootings.

    Its hold on Iraq was defeated in 2017 and in Syria two years later, although sleeper cells continue to carry out assaults in both countries.

    Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi has become the fifth leader of the organization since its inception.

    In November of the previous year, ISIL announced the death of its former leader, Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

    His predecessor, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, was killed in a United States raid in Idlib province in February of the prior year.

    The group’s initial leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was also eliminated in Idlib in October 2019.

  • Missing British woman discovered dead in Turkey on side of road

    Missing British woman discovered dead in Turkey on side of road

    A British pensioner was found dead by the side of the road in the Turkish province of Antalya.

    The unnamed 74-year-old Alzheimer’s patient was apparently discovered unconscious close to a forest area, close to the Asmaca neighbourhood. She has been identified as having the illness by the local media.

    Within two days of her absence, onlookers found her body.

    Emergency services responded swiftly, but the cause of her death has not yet been determined.

    Coroners are scheduled to perform a post-mortem examination at the mortuary later this week.

    In Turkey‘s southern Mediterranean region, Antalya is a favourite vacation destination for Britons.

    However, it’s unclear if the pensioner was a resident or had just visited for a vacation.

  • Turkey consents to support Sweden’s application for NATO membership

    Turkey consents to support Sweden’s application for NATO membership

    Recep Tayyip Erdoan, president of Turkey, will support Sweden’s application to join NATO.

    After delaying the Scandinavian country’s application for membership for months, he has consented to “as soon as possible” deliver the accession protocol to parliament.

    On the eve of the alliance’s summit in Lithuania, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of Nato, issued the declaration following conversations with Erdoan and Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister of Sweden.

    He said in a statement on Twitter this is a ‘historic step which makes all Nato allies stronger and safer’.

    Stoltenberg declined to give a date for when Sweden’s accession would be ratified by the Turkish parliament, the grand national assembly, which would decide on the exact timing.

    Kristersson was greeted by an ovation as he walked into the lobby of his hotel in Vilnius, shortly after securing the long-awaited assent.

    This comes less than two weeks after the country gave the go-ahead to two men to hold a Quran-burning protest outside a mosque, a ‘despicable’ decision which was widely condemned in Turkey.

    Sweden and Finland applied to join Nato last year after Russia launched a war in Ukraine.

    With the move, the two countries casting aside policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War as the invasion reframed the security considerations.

    But Sweden’s accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since 2022.

    Hungary is now the only Nato member who has not yet agreed to it joining the alliance.

    UK’s foreign secretary James Cleverly tweeted his approval of Turkey agreeing to support Sweden, stressing it is ‘in everyone’s interest’.

    He wrote: ‘Their accession makes us all safer. The UK welcomes the steps Turkey has taken today to bring this closer.

    ‘We continue to stand by our Swedish friends Tobias Billstrom.’

  • Turkey ready for new EU membership talks to support Sweden Nato membership

    Turkey ready for new EU membership talks to support Sweden Nato membership

    Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has stated that his country will support Sweden’s bid to join NATO if the European Union initiates membership talks with Turkey.

    President Erdogan plans to convey this demand at the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania.

    President Erdogan has already informed US President Joe Biden of his intentions regarding Sweden’s NATO membership aspirations. His remarks precede a meeting with Sweden’s Prime Minister and NATO’s Secretary General in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.

    As a NATO member, Turkey holds the power to veto the entry of any new country into the alliance. Turkey has previously expressed concerns regarding what it perceives as Stockholm’s willingness to host Kurdish militants.

    However, President Erdogan acknowledged that Sweden has taken some positive steps by amending anti-terror laws, though he still has remaining grievances.

    While Hungary has also been hesitant in supporting Sweden’s NATO bid, it has indicated that it will not further delay the process if Turkey changes its stance.

    Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General, stated on Monday that there is still a possibility of a “positive decision” regarding Sweden’s NATO membership during the upcoming two-day conference.

    He added that Sweden joining Nato would “strengthen our ability to defend and protect not least the Baltic region”.

    German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, meanwhile, has dismissed Mr Erdogan’s idea of a reciprocal agreement.

    “Sweden meets all the requirements for Nato membership,” he told reporters in Berlin. “The other question is one that is not connected with it.”

    A spokeswoman for the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, said membership to the bloc could only be granted by following procedure.

    “The European Union has a very structured process of enlargement and a very, very clear set of steps that need to be taken by all candidate countries and even by those that wish to become candidate countries,” said Dana Spinant.

    Over a year ago, Sweden, along with Finland, initiated a bid to join NATO, prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland successfully became the 31st member of the alliance in April, after Turkey withdrew objections that were akin to those it currently has regarding Sweden’s application.

    It’s worth noting that Turkey’s pursuit of EU membership has been stalled for several years. In 2016, EU members voted to suspend talks on the matter due to concerns over Turkey’s crackdown on dissenters following a failed coup attempt that same year.

    Nevertheless, relations between Turkey and the EU have improved since then, with the EU relying on Turkey’s assistance on various issues, including migration.

    In summary, Sweden and Finland launched bids to join NATO in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. While Finland has already gained membership, Turkey’s objections currently hinder Sweden’s application.

    Turkey’s own EU membership process has been suspended, though relations between Turkey and the EU have shown signs of improvement.

  • Sober Russians detained for shouting at crew and passengers on a flight

    Sober Russians detained for shouting at crew and passengers on a flight

    Following a rowdy incident on an easyJet flight from Manchester to Turkey, two Russian males have been detained.

    The 48-year-old and 39-year-old were dragged from the aircraft by police in Greece after the captain made a diversion there because they wouldn’t calm down.

    Although there was no violence, according to the authorities, they began yelling at the staff and passengers.

    The men were accused of upsetting the peace, interfering with transportation, and failing to follow the crew’s orders.

    They were released pending trial but were forced to stay in a police station as they had no Greek visas.

    The flight to Dalaman took off without the pair, though it’s believed they will be put on another flight to Turkey later on Sunday.

    A spokesperson for easyJet said: ‘easyJet’s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.

    ‘Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard.’

  • Turkish border guards seize 28 pythons discovered concealed in a vehicle

    Turkish border guards seize 28 pythons discovered concealed in a vehicle

    On the border between Turkey and Bulgaria, pythons that had been the subject of a smuggling operation were discovered wrapped in women’s pantyhose.

    On Tuesday, 28 snakes were confiscated by customs officers at the Kapikule border crossing, which is the main location for trade between the EU and Turkey, Syria, and Iran.

    Authorities searched a truck owned by a suspect known only as I.K after receiving a tip, according to the Daily Sabah.

    The reptiles were found in the trailer section of the truck, concealed inside a cloth bag, and wrapped in stockings.

    epa05572800 Police officers of European Border and Coast Guard stand on duty, during the official launch of the European Border and Coast Guard, in Kapitan Andreevo Check Point, on the borders of Bulgaria with Turkey, 06 October 2016. The new European Border and Coast Guard Agency started its operation along the Bulgarian-Turkish border at Kapitan Andreevo checkpint, the biggest border crossing from EU member state Bulgaria to Turkey. Built on Frontex, the new Agency will ensure stronger shared management of the EU's external borders. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called, in his state of the union speech to the European Parliament, on member states to deploy extra border guards and 50 vehicles to Bulgaria by October. EPA/ORESTIS PANAGIOTOU
    Police officers in Kapitan Andreevo Check Point, on the borders of Bulgaria with Turkey (Picture: EPA)

    Out of the 28 pythons discovered, one was already dead. Both the driver, I.K., and a passenger, F.Ç., were taken into custody.

    Bulgarian media reported that the truck had arrived from Germany.

    The snakes were subsequently taken under veterinary supervision and handed over to the Edirne Nature Conservation and National Parks Branch Office.

  • The Selkirk individual charge of Turkey’s earthquake relief efforts

    The Selkirk individual charge of Turkey’s earthquake relief efforts

    The Scot overseeing the UK’s relief efforts in the devastated southern Turkey thinks the crisis is finally starting to lighten after four months.

    In the hours following the earthquakes in February, Erlend Linklater of Selkirk managed the dispatch of British rescue teams.

    A field hospital was also established by the 48-year-old in the region of Gaziantep that had been completely destroyed.

    The end of the tunnel is in sight, according to Erlend, even though progress has been slow.

    Almost 60,000 people died across southern Turkey and northern Syria when two huge earthquakes struck during 6 February.

    Many more were injured and displaced as thousands of buildings either totally or partially collapsed.

    White Helmets rescue teams extracting a casualty from rubble in northern Syria
    Image caption, White Helmets rescue teams spent many weeks in northern Syria and southern Turkey

    Erlend has been in Turkey for four years working as a humanitarian adviser with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as about 3.7 million refugees fled from the Syrian civil war.

    Despite being previously based in some of the world’s most war-torn countries, such as Afghanistan, Angola and southern Sudan, he was still shocked by the scale of death and damage.

    “If you work in conflict areas, you are used to seeing destroyed buildings, but if they are near the front line then often the civilian population has been evacuated,” he said.

    “The scary thing about the earthquake is there was no warning and it happened at four o’clock in the morning when most people were asleep, meaning every collapsed building you look at is a mass graveyard.

    “I’ve worked for a number of years in live conflicts with plenty of shooting and bombing going on, but in terms of the impact emotionally, this is one of the hardest things I’ve had to work on.”

    Erlend with UK ambassador Jill Morris and the UK’s UN representative Barbara Woodward in Hatay
    Image caption, Erlend with UK ambassador Jill Morris and the UK’s UN representative Barbara Woodward in Hatay

    The Scot has remained at the forefront of the UK government‘s disaster relief effort since the earthquakes struck.

    He initially oversaw the deployment of 77 search and rescue experts, and in the days after the deathly tremors, helped co-ordinate a joint field hospital for the FCDO and the Ministry of Defence in Gaziantep.

    More than 20,000 patients have since been treated at the temporary medical base.

    Erlend has also been involved in making sure UK government aid, worth a total of £43m, reaches the worst-affected communities.

    He said: “I don’t think there is a person in the affected areas who will not know somebody who has died. So many people are grieving.

    “Some of the worst affected places like Hatay were places I knew well, visited frequently, and was fond of, which has compounded it and made it hit home even harder.”

    A patient being treated at the field hospital in Gaziantep
    Image caption, The field hospital in Gaziantep has treated more than 20,000 patients since it was set up by Erlend

    Although about 2.4 million people are still living in camps and other temporary sites, Erlend believes that, after four months, noticeable progress is now being made.

    He added: “We are continuing to provide shelter, water sanitation and hygiene and doing everything we can to minimise the spread of disease.

    “I am based in Ankara, but every time I go down I see progress.

    “Although there is still a long way to go, I can say for the first time in more than four months that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

    More on this story

  • Turkey: Ghanaian and 5 others detained in connection with $1b in counterfeit money

    Turkey: Ghanaian and 5 others detained in connection with $1b in counterfeit money

    Turkish security authorities have recovered $1 billion in counterfeit money and detained six people engaged in the operation.

    Among the detainees were one Ghanaian national and three Swedish citizens, as confirmed by the governor’s office of Turkey on Friday, June 9, 2023.

    The office declared that the counterfeit money haul stands as the largest ever recorded in the nation’s history.

    The efforts of the Gendarmerie forces led them to track down the suspects, eventually discovering their whereabouts in a storage facility situated in Istanbul’s Kagithane district.

    During the operation, a significant collection of counterfeit money amounting to $1,00,000,000.00 intended to be transported to African nations, was apprehended.

    Following the raid, law enforcement officials proceeded to search the suspects’ residences, resulting in the confiscation of cash and jewelry believed to be connected to the illegal activities.

    The report also mentioned that the Swedish and Ghanaian consulates were promptly notified of the arrests and the ongoing investigation.

  • Ghanaian, 5 others arrested by Turkey security for attempted distribution of $1bn counterfeit money

    Ghanaian, 5 others arrested by Turkey security for attempted distribution of $1bn counterfeit money

    Turkish security forces have confiscated $1 billion worth of counterfeit money in Istanbul and arrested six individuals involved in the scheme.

    The arrested individuals include one Ghanaian and three Swedish nationals, as stated by the governor’s office on Friday, according to Reuters.

    The suspects were tracked by gendarmerie forces to a storage facility located in Istanbul’s Kagithane district.

    It was at this location that a substantial quantity of counterfeit $100 bills intended to be distributed in African countries was seized, according to the governor’s office.

    In addition to the raid on the storage space, searches were conducted at the suspects’ residences, resulting in the seizure of cash and jewelry.

    The Swedish and Ghanaian consulates were also informed of the arrests and the ongoing investigation.

    The governor’s office highlighted that this counterfeit money seizure represents the largest in Turkey’s history, underscoring the significance of the operation.

  • Turkey’s new cabinet reflects the country’s future direction

    Turkey’s new cabinet reflects the country’s future direction

    The leader of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, chose a new group of people to help him run the country. He hopes this will make Turkey stronger, and that people will listen to him more. Turkey has been around for 100 years, and Erdogan thinks this is a new and exciting time for his country.

    The people the president chose for his cabinet suggest that he will go back to usual ways of handling the economy. However, he will keep doing what he has been doing in foreign matters. This is happening as he enters the third decade of being president.

    People are excited for Mehmet Simsek to become finance minister again because he did the job before and is well-respected in business circles. He used to work for Erdogan as deputy prime minister.

    When Simsek’s predecessor Nureddin Nebati officially handed over his portfolio on Sunday, microphones picked up a sigh of relief from him. That was no surprise given the state of the Turkish economy. Erdogan’s unorthodox economic policies over the past few years have led to a cost-of-living crisis and a plummeting Turkish lira. Efforts to defend the battered currency have resulted in Turkish central bank reserves dropping to record lows. The lira plunged 7% on Wednesday, hitting 22.98 against the US dollar, Reuters reported. That’s what Simsek is up against as he takes office.

    “Transparency, consistency, predictability and compliance with international norms will be our basic principles in achieving this goal in the upcoming period,” Simsek said in his first speech since being appointed to the post. “Turkey has no choice but to return to a rational basis. A rule-based, predictable Turkish economy will be the key to achieving the desired prosperity.”

    With that message Simsek may be able to convince foreign investors and instill enough hope domestically to keep the G20 economy afloat.

    But his real uphill battle might be in convincing Erdogan himself. While Simsek will likely be the chief architect of a new economic policy, the president’s other appointments suggest he may be leveraging different economic visions, according to Mehmet Celik, editorial coordinator at the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper. Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz is a career bureaucrat and economist, and Trade Minister Omer Bolat comes from a business background. “The picks were strategic so that there will be a new balance,” Celik told CNN.

    In the international arena, Turkey has deployed a muscular policy implemented through the foreign and defense ministries along with Turkish intelligence that has expanded its reach regionally and carved out an independent path for the NATO member. In that regard, continuity is likely.

    The new foreign minister is a well-known figure to Turks and international players who have negotiated with Turkey of late. Hakan Fidan, who had served as head of Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) since 2010, has been in every room and every discussion that has been pivotal to Turkish foreign policy over the last few years. He’s been ever-present but rarely heard – a shadow diplomat in Erdogan’s foreign policy arsenal who has charted rough waters in Syria, Libya and beyond.

    Fidan has played a central role in shaping and carrying out foreign policy along with former chief spokesperson and de facto national security adviser Ibrahim Kalin, who has now taken his old job as intelligence chief.

    “I will continue to improve our national foreign policy vision, which is based on the sovereign will of our people and independence of our state from all spheres of influence,” Fidan said in his handover ceremony.

    Ankara’s foreign policy has put it on a collision course with neighbors, allies and partners including Greece, with which it has tense relations in the eastern Mediterranean, and Western countries, over the perceived threat from Kurdish groups backed by the US in northern Syria.

    “There is a willingness from Turkey to put (its) guard down when it comes to the West,” he said. “But when it’s all take and no give from the West, Turkey doesn’t want to settle for that… It will continue to put its foot down and stand against being dictated to,” said Celik.

    Those strained relations will not be easy to mend but Fidan has been masterful in his previous role as spymaster in finding ways to negotiate breakthroughs in difficult relations. He has stepped in to mend frayed ties with Gulf Arab states, and has been a driving force behind the slow rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara. The shadow diplomat now enters an era where he is the main voice for Turkey abroad.

    All eyes will be on him as he navigates Sweden’s attempt to join NATO. While the US and European NATO members have been in a hurry to admit the Scandinavian country, Turkey has held up membership due to what Ankara says is Sweden’s harboring of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is outlawed in Turkey, the EU and the US. Sweden has acknowledged that the group’s activities in the country were “extensive” and “a bigger problem than we realized”.

    At the interior ministry, Suleyman Soylu, a self-styled tough guy, is being replaced by career bureaucrat and former governor of Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya. Its portfolio is one of the country’s largest. Yerlikaya’s main areas of focus will be the ongoing response to the earthquake which killed more than 50,000 people in southern Turkey, the 3.5 million Syrian refugees in the country and the continued counter-terrorism efforts against the PKK.

    The fight against terrorism, which has broad support across the political spectrum in Turkey, is likely to remain the same but the tone of the ministry is likely to change, according to Celik. Yerlikaya is a softer-spoken politician who has quietly run Istanbul since 2018 and is unlikely to emulate Soylu’s harsh rhetorical style. A shift in tone may serve to bridge some of the social divide that has plagued Turkey in recent years.

    The outgoing cabinet members are, however, far from retired. Soylu, former Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and ex-Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu are all lawmakers from Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). They’ve just been sworn in for their new terms in parliament, highlighting the party’s tremendous strength there. Their voices will likely echo louder than those of opposition MPs, who now will face an even tougher time convincing voters of their chops in the legislature.

    Overall, the new cabinet is a departure from the political appointments that have defined the era in Turkey following the attempted coup in 2015, instead drawing on a strong pool of technocrats.

    As Erdogan leads the Turkish republic into its second century, he appears to be employing a back-to-the-basics approach. With social polarization at an all-time high, the economy in crisis and a region that is rife with difficulties, the cabinet has potential to reset some economic missteps of the previous years while holding the line on foreign policy. But a lot will come down to what Erdogan wants, because in Turkey, the buck stops with him.

  • Turkey: President Erdogan beats Kilicdaroglu to retain power

    Turkey: President Erdogan beats Kilicdaroglu to retain power

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s supporters jubilantly celebrated throughout the night after Turkey’s long-serving president secured another five years in power.

    “We have won as the entire nation of 85 million,” he declared to exultant crowds outside his immense palace on the outskirts of Ankara.

    However, his call for unity rang hollow as he proceeded to mock his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, while also targeting a jailed Kurdish leader and the LGBT community.

    The opposition leader stopped short of explicitly conceding defeat.

    Denouncing “the most unjust election in recent years,” Mr. Kilicdaroglu asserted that the president’s political party had employed all the resources of the state against him.

    Based on nearly complete unofficial results, President Erdogan obtained just over 52% of the vote. It is important to note that nearly half of the electorate in this deeply divided country did not support his authoritarian vision for Turkey.

    Ultimately, Mr. Kilicdaroglu proved to be no match for the well-organized Erdogan campaign, even though he managed to force the president into a second-round runoff, a first since the direct election of the post in 2014.

    Nonetheless, he made only a slight dent in his rival’s lead from the first round, trailing by over two million votes.

    The president made the most of his victory, with an initial speech to supporters atop a bus in Turkey’s biggest city, Istanbul, followed after dark by a balcony address from his palace to an adoring crowd that he numbered at 320,000 people.

    “It is not just us who won, Turkey won,” he declared, calling it one of the most important elections in Turkish history.

    He taunted his opponent’s defeat with the words “Bye, bye, Kemal” – a chant that was also taken up by his supporters in Ankara.

    Mr Erdogan poured scorn on the main opposition party’s increase in its number of MPs in the parliamentary vote two weeks earlier. The true number had fallen to 129, he said, because the party had handed over dozens of seats to its allies.

    He also condemned the opposition alliance’s pro-LGBT policies, which he said were in contrast with his own focus on families.

    The run-up to the vote had become increasingly rancorous. In one incident, an opposition Good party official was fatally stabbed in front of a party office in the northern coastal town of Ordu.

    The motive for Erhan Kurt’s killing was not clear, but a leading opposition official blamed youths celebrating the election result.

    Although the final results were not confirmed, the Supreme Election Council said there was no doubt who had won.

    It is highly unusual for the palace complex to be opened to the public – but so was this result, extending his period in power to a quarter of a century.

    Supporters came from all over Ankara to taste the victory. There were Islamic chants, while some laid Turkish flags on the grass to pray.

    For a night, Turkey’s economic crisis was forgotten. One supporter, Seyhan, said it was all a lie: “Nobody is hungry. We are very happy with his economy policies. He will do even better in the next five years.”

    But the president admitted that tackling inflation was Turkey’s most urgent issue.

    The question is whether he is prepared to take the necessary measures to do so. At an annual rate of almost 44%, inflation seeps into everyone’s lives.

    The cost of food, rent and other everyday goods has soared, exacerbated by Mr Erdogan’s refusal to observe orthodox economic policy and raise interest rates.

    The Turkish lira has hit record lows against the dollar and the central bank has struggled to meet surging demand for foreign currency.

    “If they continue with low interest rates, as Erdogan has signalled, the only other option is stricter capital controls,” warns Selva Demiralp, professor of economics at Koc university in Istanbul.

    Economics was far from the minds of Erdogan supporters, who spoke of their pride at his powerful position in the world and his hard line on fighting “terrorists”, by which they meant Kurdish militants.

    President Erdogan has accused his opposite number of siding with terrorists, and criticised him for promising to free a former co-leader of Turkey’s second largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish HDP.

    Selahattin Demirtas has been languishing in jail since 2016, despite the European Court of Human Rights ordering his release.

    Mr Erdogan said while he was in power, Mr Demirtas would stay behind bars.

    He also promised to prioritise rebuilding in areas hit by February’s twin earthquakes and bring about the “voluntary” return of a million Syrian refugees.

    Crowds flocked to Istanbul’s Taksim Square, with many coming from the Middle East and the Gulf.

    Supporters gather to hear Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan give an address after winning re-election in Turkey's run-off vote, at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, 28 May
    Image caption,Supporters gathered outside the palace from all over Ankara to hear Mr Erdogan

    Palestinians from Jordan wrapped Turkish flags around their shoulders. A Tunisian visitor, Alaa Nassar, said Mr Erdogan had not just made improvements to his own country, “he is also supporting Arabs and the Muslim world”.

    For all the celebrations, the idea of unity in this polarised country seems farther away than ever.

    Since a failed coup in 2016, Mr Erdogan has abolished the post of prime minister and amassed extensive powers, which his opponent had pledged to roll back.

    One voter outside an Ankara polling station on Sunday said he wanted to see an end to the brain drain that began with the post-coup purge. There is a risk that it may now intensify.

    Turkey’s defeated opposition will now have to regroup ahead of local elections in 2024.

    Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a high-profile favourite among opposition supporters, appealed to them not to despair.

    He reminded them on Monday that the opposition had defeated the ruling party in Ankara and Istanbul in 2019 months after they had lost the last presidential election.

    That was only achieved after they changed strategy and started from scratch, he explained: “We will never expect different results by doing the same things.”

    Source: BBC

  • Turkey in a momentous vote after 20 years of Erdogan

    Turkey in a momentous vote after 20 years of Erdogan

    Turks are voting in a historic presidential run-off election to determine if Recep Tayyip Erdogan should continue in power after 20 years.

    His challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, backed by a broad opposition alliance, has billed the vote as a referendum on Turkey’s future direction.

    The president, who is favourite to win, promises a new era uniting the country around a “Turkish century”.

    But the more pressing issue is rampant inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.

    Voters have nine hours to cast their ballots before 17:00 (14:00 GMT) and many were already waiting outside a polling station in central Ankara before the doors opened. One woman of 80 had set her alarm for 05:00 to be sure of arriving on time.

    Turnout in the first round was an impressive 88.8%, and Mr Erdogan’s lead was 2.5 million votes. That is why both candidates have their eye on the eight million who did not vote – but could this time.

    Ahead of the run-off Mr Kilicdaroglu accused his rival of foul play, by blocking his text messages to voters while the president’s messages went through.

    Opposition parties are deploying an army of some 400,000 volunteers in a bid to ensure no vote-rigging takes place, both at polling stations and later at the election authority. But among the volunteers, they need lawyers such as Sena to accompany the ballot boxes.

    International observers spoke of an uneven playing field after the first round. But there was no suggestion that any irregularities in voting would have changed the result.

    Mr Kilicdaroglu promised a very different style of presidency on his final day of campaigning: “I have no interest in living in palaces. I will live like you, modestly… and solve your problems.”

    It was a swipe at Mr Erdogan’s enormous palatial complex on the edge of Ankara which he moved to when he switched from prime minister to president in 2014. After surviving a failed coup in 2016 he took on extensive powers, detained tens of thousands of people and took control of the media.

    So it was laden with symbolism when he paid a campaign visit on Saturday to the mausoleum of a prime minister executed by the military after a coup in 1960.

    President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lays carnations on the mausoleum of the 8th President of Turkiye, Turgut Ozal, at Topkapi Cemetery in Istanbul, Turkiye on May 27, 2023
    Image caption,One of President Erdogan’s final acts before the vote was to lay carnations at a mausoleum

    “The era of coups and juntas is over,” he declared, linking Turkey’s current stability to his own authoritarian rule.

    Turkey, however, is deeply polarised, with the president reliant on a support base of religious conservatives and nationalists, while his opposite number’s supporters are mainly secular – but many of them are nationalist too.

    For days the two men traded insults. Mr Kilicdaroglu accused the president of cowardice and hiding from a fair election; Mr Erdogan said his rival was on the side of “terrorists”, referring to Kurdish militants.

    But after days of inflammatory rhetoric about sending millions of Syrian refugees home, the opposition candidate returned to Turkey’s number-one issue – the economic crisis, and in particular its effect on poorer households.

    A 59-year-old woman and her grandson joined him on stage to explain how her monthly salary of 5,000 lira (£200; $250) was now impossible to live on as her rent had shot up to 4,000 lira (£160; $200).

    Kemal Kilicdaroglu, presidential candidate of Turkey's main opposition alliance, poses for a photograph, as he attends the indoor campaign event 'Family Support Insurance Meeting', ahead of the May 28 presidential runoff vote, in Ankara, Turkey, May 27, 2023
    Image caption,A boy takes a picture of his grandmother, 59, with Kemal Kilicdaroglu

    It may have been staged, but this is the story across Turkey, with inflation at almost 44% and salaries and state help failing to keep pace.

    Economists say the Erdogan policy of cutting interest rates rather than raising them has only made matters worse.

    The Turkish lira has hit record lows, demand for foreign currency has surged and the central bank’s net foreign currency reserves are in negative territory for the first time since 2002.

    “The central bank has no foreign currency to sell,” says Selva Demiralp, professor of economics at Koc University. “There are already some sort of capital controls – we all know it’s hard to buy dollars. If they continue with low interest rates, as Erdogan has signalled, the only other option is stricter controls.”

    East of Ankara, gleaming tower blocks have been springing up in Kirikkale. It looks like boom-time for this city, run by the president’s party.

    But many people here are struggling.

    Fatma has run a hairdresser’s for 13 years but for the past two, work has dried up, and the cost of rent and hair products has soared.

    She voted for an ultranationalist candidate who came third, and does not trust the two men left in the race.

    A few doors up the street, Binnaz is working a sewing machine at a shop for mending clothes.

    People cannot afford new dresses so she is earning much more, even if her monthly rent has trebled to to 4,000 lira. Despite Turkey’s stricken economy, she is putting her faith in the president.

    Binnaz, seamstres

    BBC

    I believe [Erdogan] can fix it because he’s been in power for 21 years and he has all the power. It’s his last term [in office] so he’ll do all he can for usBinnaz
    Seamstress in Kirikkale

    Outside a supermarket, Emrah Turgut says he is also sticking with Mr Erdogan because he has no faith in the other option, and believes the president’s unfounded allegations that the biggest opposition party co-operates with terrorists.

    Turkey’s second-biggest opposition party, the HDP, denies any link to the militant PKK, but President Erdogan has used their backing for the rival candidate to suggest a link to terrorists.

    Whoever wins on Sunday, Turkey’s parliament is already firmly in the grip of Mr Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party and its far-right nationalist ally, the MHP.

    The AKP also has the youngest MP, who arrived in parliament on the eve of the presidential vote.

    Zehranur Aydemir, 24, believes if Mr Erdogan wins then he will lay the foundations for a century in which Turkey will become a global power: “Now Turkey has a bigger vision it can dream bigger.”

    It is another grandiose Erdogan project, but Turkey’s economy is likely to prove a more pressing task, whoever wins the run-off.

  • British national ‘burned alive in caravan fire in Bodrum’

    British national ‘burned alive in caravan fire in Bodrum’

    In Turkey, a woman was trapped inside the caravan she was residing in and burned to death.

    The tragedy occurred while Hayley Louise Pearce, 54, and her boyfriend were on vacation in the city of Bodrum.

    The pair reportedly awakened after the building had already caught fire, according to local media.

    In the wee hours of this morning, Hayley, who was still entrapped in the caravan, passed away.

    Her Turkish boyfriend, who has not been named, somehow escaped the fire, but the extent of his injuries remains unclear.

    Footage from the scene show only the caravan completely destroyed as the fire crew battles to extinguish the flames.

    They could only recover Hayley’s lifeless body inside the charred remains of the vehicle.

    It has since been taken to the morgue of the Mugla Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy.

    The cause of the fire remains unclear. Authorities have launched an investigation into what happened.

    Metro.co.uk has contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for a comment.

  • Egypt requests Turkey to get its troops out of Syria

    Egypt requests Turkey to get its troops out of Syria

    Despite efforts by Ankara and Cairo to mend relations, Egypt’s foreign minister called on Turkey to remove its troops from Syria on Thursday. This was a sign of the ongoing tensions.

    “I said that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria should be preserved. I also said that foreign forces should withdraw from the territory of Syria,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Choukri said. visiting Ankara on Thursday, about his exchanges with his Turkish counterpart during a joint press conference.

    “We are committed more than anyone” to the territorial integrity of Syria, replied Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

    “Our priority is the fight against terrorism. (…) Our presence there is important to prevent threats against us, but also to block efforts to break up Syria,” he said. he adds.

    Cairo and Ankara had been cold since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2013, after the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi, who was close to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    Turkey , however, has been seeking for months to normalize relations with several regional powers, including Egypt and Israel. But the Turkish military presence in Syria complicates these efforts.

    Egypt and other Arab countries have recently renewed contact with Damascus, causing consternation in Washington. But Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has conditioned the dialogue with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria.

    The head of Egyptian diplomacy had visited Turkey at the end of February after the devastating earthquake which killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

    “We are opening new pages in our relations with Egypt,” Mr. Cavusoglu then welcomed during a press conference with Mr. Choukri in the port of Mersin, in southern Turkey, where a ship of humanitarian aid provided by Egypt landed.

    The Turkish and Egyptian presidents thus exchanged their first handshake at the end of November on the sidelines of the opening of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

  • Former student of a grammar school admits going to Syria to join ISIS

    Former student of a grammar school admits going to Syria to join ISIS

    A British man has admitted to going to Syria nine years ago to join the so-called Islamic State.

    In 2014, Shabazz Suleman, a 19-year-old resident of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, vanished while traveling with his family to Turkey.

    The former grammar school student was detained on September 29, 2021, at Heathrow Airport and charged with a number of terrorism-related offenses.

    He was due to face trial at the Old Bailey on May 15, but on Friday he pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism by travelling from the UK to Turkey in order to join IS in Syria in August 2014.

    Image of Shabazz Suleman, 18, via private messaging on Twitter. Shehryar Mirza says he went to school with Shabazz for seven years and sat next to him for two years. The friend, who is now studying in the US, has sent me a picture of Shabazz from when he was carrying out aid work on the Turkey/Syria border last summer (see below). He is not in contact with Shabazz at the moment but says that he had spoken about going back out there again. He said he was definitely against ISIS and sympathetic to the views of the Free Syrian Army, which has been fighting Assad and received Western funding. Shabazz, who was a member of the school's debating society, was planning to start a degree course at Queen Mary University in London. According to the friend: 'He was interested in debating and current affairs. Was quite quiet, but hardworking. He was interested in football and cricket, but didn't support teams.'
    Suleman feld across the Syrian border while on a family holiday in Turkey

    The defendant, now 27, was also charged with being a member of IS, a proscribed organisation, between 2014 and 2017, and receiving training in the use of firearms.

    Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said his guilty plea addressed the two other charges which he asked to be left on the court file.

    Referring to the defendant’s basis of plea, Judge Mark Lucraft KC agreed and noted Suleman had gone to join IS ‘even if not becoming a member of it’.

    He ordered a pre-sentence report on the defendant’s dangerousness and adjourned sentencing to May 26.

    Remanding the defendant into custody, Judge Lucraft said: ‘This morning you have pleaded guilty to the preparation of terrorist acts. You will know a custodial sentence is inevitable.’

    Suleman, who wore a blue suit, with a white shirt and yellow tie, had entered his guilty plea in the dock of the Old Bailey.

    The prosecution had alleged that while attempting to travel to Syria, he had been held by Turkish forces before opting to be part of a prisoner swap with IS.

    On joining the terrorist group in Syria, he became active on social media and posted about his experiences in IS territory while engaged with members of the media.

    After the collapse of IS, he was taken captive by a faction of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) before being transferred to Turkey and then Pakistan.

    In an interview with The Times newspaper, he said he had become disillusioned with jihadism and chose to desert the terrorist group.

    Via encrypted messages he told the newspaper he went through ‘intense’ indoctrination by the group, adding: ‘I never thought I was being brainwashed until I saw the way they treat other Sunnis.’

    In October 2017, he was also interviewed by Sky News while in the hands of FSA, the court heard.

    Suleman arrived back in the UK on September 29 2021 and was arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.

    In a police interview, Suleman denied choosing to join IS while held in Turkey and said he had changed his mind about going but was handed over anyway as part of a deal with IS.

    He also denied membership of the terrorist group, saying he never swore allegiance and was just a civilian.

    He claimed he had tried to leave IS territory from mid-2015 and did not handle guns.

    It can now be reported that Suleman’s defence team had tried unsuccessfully to get his earlier account in his Sky News interview ruled inadmissible.

    The defendant claimed he had been forced into doing it by the FSA and told to say he had fought with IS in battles.

    There was no accusation that the broadcaster was in any way complicit.

    The defendant also claimed FSA had beat him and caused him to fear for his life after witnessing others being waterboarded.

    However, Mr Atkinson, for the prosecution, had asserted that there was no evidence of duress or that Suleman had suffered ill treatment while being held by the FSA.

    He argued that the defendant had even told the interviewer that he had access to a phone and could speak to his family on a regular basis.

    In his ruling that the interview could be considered by a jury at trial, Judge Lucraft stated: ‘In my assessment, the defendant appears at ease throughout the whole of the interview process.

    ‘When this interview video recording is considered, the whole way it was conducted does not show any oppression or coercion on the part of the interviewer to what takes place.’

    The charges against him alleged that in August 2014, he engaged in preparation for acts of terrorism by travelling from the UK to Turkey in order to join the Islamic State in Syria, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

    The second charge of membership of IS related to his time in Syria between August 1 2014 and June 1 2017 with weapons training in the nine months after his arrival in the country.

    In the course of the investigation, evidence was uncovered of messaging between the defendant and his friends and family, statements he gave to the media and his social media posts.

    The prosecution had asserted that the material revealed his activities and his extreme mindset.

  • Turkey: President Erdogan keen on maintaining power

    Turkey: President Erdogan keen on maintaining power

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has begun the campaign for his party to maintain control as he looks to serve another 20 years in office.

    Six opposition groups have united to fight him in the strongest way yet in the upcoming presidential and legislative elections on May 14.

    In addition to dealing with high inflation, Turkey is still recovering from twin earthquakes that have killed 50,000 people. Inflation would be reduced to single digits, according to Mr. Erdogan and the AK Party, a pledge already made by his rivals.

    Under President Erdogan, Turkey has become more autocratic, and the opposition wants to change that.

    Any candidate that can secure more than half the presidential vote on 14 May is the outright winner. Failing that, the race goes to a run-off two weeks later.

    Whichever party wins the parliamentary vote is seen as having a psychological advantage if the presidential election goes to a second round.

    Erdogan’s challenge

    Turkey’s voters have been polarised for years, but Mr Erdogan, 69, is under pressure as never before. Turkey has become increasingly authoritarian under its current leader, who runs Turkey from a vast palace with much of the media controlled by his allies.

    He has ruled Turkey since 2003, initially as prime minister but then as president since 2014, dramatically increasing his powers three years later after a failed 2016 coup. His AK Party has been in power since November 2002.

    Increasing numbers of Turks have blamed him for soaring inflation, because of his unorthodox refusal to raise interest rates. The official inflation rate is just above 50%, but academics say it is actually higher than 100%.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) visits quake survivor Aleyna Olmez and other patients receiving treatment at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Children's Hospital after being transferred from quake-hit regions in Turkiye on 22 February 2023
    Image caption,President Erdogan’s government has been criticised for its response to the twin earthquakes

    Turkey’s president and ruling party have also been widely criticised for failing to adapt Turkey’s construction practices before the 6 February earthquakes and for mishandling the search and rescue efforts afterwards.

    Millions of Turks were left homeless in the 11 provinces affected by the quakes. Since many of them are seen as Erdogan party strongholds, the election could be won and lost in the east.

    His AK Party is rooted in political Islam, but he has forged an alliance with the ultra-nationalist MHP.

    Six opposition parties – one candidate

    Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 74, comes across as a mild-mannered, bookish opponent and he has presided over a string of election defeats at the helm of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

    But this time could be different as he is fighting as a unity candidate for six opposition parties, ranging from his own centre-left party and the nationalist Good party to four smaller groups, which include two former Erdogan allies one of whom co-founded the AK Party.

    Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), speaks during a public event in Istanbul, Turkey, 26 March 2023
    Image caption,Kemal Kilicdaroglu has agreed that the leaders of his alliance will all share the role of vice president

    Mr Kilicdaroglu also has the unofficial backing of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP, which is running for parliament under the banner of another party, the Green Left, because of a court case alleging links to Kurdish militants.

    His selection was not universally popular, because some considered the mayors of Istanbul and Ankara as better candidates after they took control of the cities in 2019 for the CHP for the first time since 1994.

    A former civil servant who is part of the Alevi minority, Mr Kilicdaroglu led a 24-day march for justice in 2017 which was seen as the biggest show of defiance against President Erdogan’s rule for years.

    His Nation’s Alliance, also known as the Table of Six, are united in their desire to return Turkey from the presidential system created under Mr Erdogan to one led by parliament. To change the system, they need to win 400 of Turkey’s 600 MPs, or 360 MPs to take a proposal to a referendum.

    The leaders of the other five members of the alliance have agreed to take on the roles of vice-president.

    Splitting the vote

    Turkish opinion polls are notoriously unreliable, but any chance Mr Kilicdaroglu had of winning the election outright in the first round appears to have been dashed by the decision of a former centre-left party colleague, Muharrem Ince, to join the presidential race.

    Mr Ince, 58, was the Republican People’s Party presidential candidate in 2018, but left two years later because of differences with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, He now runs the secular nationalist Homeland Party and has faced accusations of diluting the opposition vote and playing into President Erdogan’s hands.

    But he has a strong presence on social media and young voters in particular have been impressed by his dance moves on TikTok.

    One other candidate with little chance of significant success is ultra-nationalist Sinan Ogan, but he too has the potential to be a kingmaker.

    How does the vote work?

    To enter the 600-seat parliament, a party needs to attract 7% of the vote or be part of an alliance that does. That is why alliances have become so important in Turkey, and the six-party opposition have highlighted changing that as one of their proposed reforms.

    Meral Aksener, leader of IYI (Good) Party, visits earthquake survivors living in tents in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, on the outskirts of Iskenderun, Turkey, March 11, 2023
    Image caption,Meral Aksener, leader of the Good Party, is one of the main backers of the opposition alliance

    Turks vote for party lists rather than candidates under proportional representation, so seat numbers correspond to votes cast per party rather than alliances. In some seats, the opposition has agreed to fight under one party banner.

    Candidates running for the Green Left instead of the pro-Kurdish party are part of the Labour and Freedom Alliance.

    Under the Erdogan reforms, it is now the president who chooses the government, so there is no prime minister. And if his broad People’s Alliance fails to win a majority in parliament, he may struggle to rule in the same way as now. The pro-Erdogan People’s Alliance currently has 334 MPs.

    Mr Erdogan has already served two terms as president, so a third appears to go against the rules of Turkey’s constitution.

    But Turkey’s YSK election board ruled that his first term should be seen as starting not in 2014 but in 2018, when the new presidential system began with elections for parliament and president on the same day.

    Opposition politicians had earlier asked the YSK to block his candidacy.

    How would the opposition change Turkey?

    The Kilicdaroglu-led Nation’s Alliance alliance wants to restore Turkey’s parliamentary system and reform the presidency, removing the head of state’s right to veto legislation, cutting the post’s ties to political parties and making it electable every seven years.

    The six parties also want to kickstart Turkey’s decades-long bid to join the European Union and restore “mutual trust” with the US, after years of fractious relations during the Erdogan years.

    They have pledged to bring inflation below 10% within two years and send Syrian refugees home voluntarily. Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million Syrian refugees.

    Source: BBC

  • Suella Braverman criticizes cops for their inanity

    Suella Braverman criticizes cops for their inanity

    Five cops seized a pub’s collection of golliwog dolls, prompting criticism of the police force for “getting involved in nonsense.”

    Following an anonymous complaint that their appearance was a possible hate crime, five Essex Police officers went to the White Hart Hotel in Grays and confiscated 15 dolls.

    A Home Office source claims that even Home Secretary Suella Braverman has criticized the force after officers questioned owner Benice Ryley at the pub on Sunday.

    According to the source, Essex Police are aware of the Home Secretary’s views because they have been made quite clear to them recently.

    ‘Police forces should not be getting involved in this kind of nonsense. It’s about tackling anti-social behaviour, stopping violence against women and girls, attending burglaries and catching criminals – not seizing dolls.’

    The force said they received an allegation of a hate crime in February, which led to their attendance at the pub on April 4.

    Mrs Ryley, 61, said police still have the dolls and they are unlikely to get them back until after her husband Chris, 65, returns from Turkey next month and is questioned.

    Chris and Benice Ryley pictured in 2018 with one of their beloved golly dolls (Picture: Eastnews Press Agency)
    Chris and Benice Ryley pictured in 2018 with one of their beloved golly dolls (Picture: Eastnews Press Agency)

    She added: ‘The whole thing is totally mad. Since the gollies were taken and the story was in the newspapers, we have had so many people get in touch with myself and my husband to say we shouldn’t give up and should keep them on our shelf.

    ‘Over the last two days my customers keep singing “save the gollies” and they want us to get them back.

    ‘So we are having a sign prepared that will say “gollies are on display, so don’t come in if that offends you” and once that’s ready we’ll restore some more of the dolls to the shelf.

    ‘They are sentimentally very valuable. The last thing this pub is is racist, we hold Indian weddings here all the time and of course everyone is welcome.

    ‘I told the officers it was all ridiculous to send so many of them for such a small thing – as they were bagging the gollies up I said “don’t worry, they won’t resist arrest”.’

    The golliwog first started appearing in children’s books in the 1800s and was created by cartoonist Florence Kate Upton.

    The dolls became popular in the 1970s in the UK but more recently they are considered to be a racist caricature of black people.

    The golliwog character was inspired by minstrel shows, where white actors would use ‘blackface’ and create a cartoonish black character who they would degrade and humiliate during the performance.

    A spokesman for Essex Police said: ‘We are investigating an allegation of hate crime reported to us on February 24. 

    ‘Essex Police have discussed the progression of this case with the Crown Prosecution Service. 

    ‘On April 4 officers attended a location off Argent Street, Grays, and seized several items in connection with that investigation.

    ‘The investigation is ongoing so we will not be commenting further at this stage.

    ‘The force is proud of the work we do prevent crime, tackle offenders and build trust and confidence in all communities.’

    The Home Office declined to comment.

  • 13 dead in Turkey after floods in earthquake-affected provinces

    13 dead in Turkey after floods in earthquake-affected provinces

    Floods caused by torrential rains have hit two Turkish provinces devastated by last month’s earthquakes, killing at least 13 people and exacerbating the misery of thousands who have been displaced, according to officials.

    According to Turkish media, the floods on Wednesday killed 11 people in Sanliurfa, which is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the Syrian border. According to reports, two people died in nearby Adiyaman, including a one-year-old child.

    A number of other people were reported missing.

    The two people died in Adiyaman when surging waters swept away a container home in the town of Tut where a group of earthquake survivors was living, Governor Numan Hatipoglu said. Four people were reported missing.

    Rescuers found the bodies of five Syrian nationals inside a flooded basement apartment in neighbouring Sanliurfa province and retrieved two other bodies inside a van that was trapped at an underpass.

    Four other people were killed and two firefighters were reported missing, Sanliurfa Governor Salih Ayhan told HaberTurk television.

    Several people were evacuated from a drenched campsite where earthquake survivors were sheltering in tents. Patients were also evacuated from a hospital, HaberTurk reported.

    Television footage from Sanliurfa showed floodwaters surging along a street and sweeping away cars.

    Turkey’s disaster management agency said more than a dozen professional divers were involved in the rescue efforts in each of the two provinces.

    The powerful earthquakes that struck parts of Turkey and Syria on February 6 killed more than 52,000 people, the vast majority in Turkey.

    More than 200,000 buildings in Turkey either collapsed or were severely damaged.

  • Turkey receives $3.6 bln of gold from Switzerland, the most sent since 2012

    Turkey receives $3.6 bln of gold from Switzerland, the most sent since 2012

    Switzerland shipped 58.3 tonnes of gold to Turkey for a total value of 3.3 billion Swiss francs ($3.6 billion), according to Swiss customs data released on Tuesday according to records dating back to 2012,

    Turkish demand for the metal has skyrocketed as astronomically high inflation erodes the value of the local lira currency. Gold is traditionally regarded as a safe way to store wealth.

    The largest hub for the transit and refining of gold is in Switzerland. In contrast to just 11 metric tonnes in 2021, it shipped 188 metric tonnes of gold to Turkey last year, valued at 10.1 billion Swiss francs.

    The shipments in January, however, show an increase. According to Swiss data, the amount of gold exported from Switzerland to Turkey in a single month has never surpassed 34 tonnes.

    The quantity of gold flowing into Turkey has worsened Turkey’s current account deficit, which rose to $48.8 billion last year.

    After earthquakes struck Turkey this month, causing thousands of deaths and huge economic damage, the government moved to reduce the amount of gold entering the country by suspending some imports and asking banks to widen the spread for gold transactions, making them costlier to curtail demand.

    Switzerland’s shipments to Turkey accounted for 42% of its total gold exports in January.

    The country sent 3.2 tonnes to India in January, the lowest for any month since May 2021, and 26.1 tonnes to mainland China, the least since May 2022.

    India and China are the two biggest gold consumer markets and demand often rises when gold prices are low and falls when gold prices increase.

    Gold prices rocketed from a low of $1,615.59 an ounce in early November to as high as $1,959.60 on Feb. 2 before slipping back to around $1,840 by Tuesday.

  • CNN Hero traveled 5,500 miles to provide medical assistance to earthquake victims in Turkey

    CNN Hero traveled 5,500 miles to provide medical assistance to earthquake victims in Turkey

    Teresa Gray, a nurse, was playing a board game with her kids at home in Anchorage, Alaska when she learned about the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6.

    She went into action despite being more than 5,500 miles away from the incident.

    Small teams of volunteer doctors are dispatched to humanitarian situations all around the world by Gray’s charity organization, Mobile Medics International.
    Within the initial several days, they are often on the ground to assist.

    Since 2017, Gray and her group have responded to dozens of disasters, providing free medical care and comfort to more than 30,000 people on five continents. Last year, she was honored as a Top 10 CNN Hero for her work.

    By February 7, Gray had received permission from Turkey’s Ministry of Health to join the relief efforts, and she flew out early the next morning.

    “It’s pretty frantic leading up to a mission,” Gray told CNN as she made final preparations to travel. “We like to get in as soon as possible. So, we’ll be on the ground about 72 hours post-earthquake.”

    She packed up supplies to help hundreds of patients, ranging from trauma dressings to antibiotics to acetaminophen. She also prepared the equipment her team would need to be self-sustaining in freezing winter conditions.

    “The buildings have been substantially damaged, so you can’t stay inside, it’s too dangerous,” she said. “We’re going to be sleeping in a tent, eating MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) … This is not going to be a good time.”

    Gray also did a video call to touch base with her team, which included a paramedic from London, a doctor from Malaysia, and a nurse anesthetist from Missouri. It was a hectic time for Gray, who says she gets “hyper-focused” before each mission, trying to anticipate problems that might arise.

    “We need to find a safe place to be. What if somebody forgot their sleeping bag? We don’t speak the language, so I need to find some interpreters,” she said. “These are the things that run through my mind as I’m getting ready to go to the airport.”

    After an epic journey through Seattle and New York, Gray finally landed in Turkey late on February 9 and met up with her team. They made their way to Hatay Province and once there, began doing mobile clinics on the streets of Samandag.

    For Gray, the destruction she saw was difficult to comprehend.

    “Just the total amount of annihilation … this is probably the most devastation that I have ever seen on any mission that we’ve been on,” she said.

    Since so many structures were unstable, the government had mandated that all families must sleep outside in tents. In a cell phone video made on Valentine’s Day, Gray described how she and her group would go street to street, stopping at tents to offer their help. She reported treating people for earthquake injuries, including a girl who had been trapped in the rubble for more than 12 hours, as well as sicknesses like the flu that had been exacerbated by the living conditions.

    “Whatever they need us to look at, we will,” she said. “Then we go back, sleep in our car. Get up the next morning and do it again.”

    They treated hundreds of people during their 10-day mission, Gray said. One of their interpreters, a high school teacher who they called K.T., became an essential part of their team. In a cell phone video, K.T. told Gray what the people they were helping had said to her.

    “They told me, ‘Say them (sic) thank you. It’s really good for us because … we can’t see any doctor, we can’t go any hospital,” K.T. said.

    K.T. had also suffered a great deal. Two of her students had been killed in the earthquake, and the school where she taught had been destroyed. She and most of her extended family – a total of 15 people – lost their homes and were forced to take refuge in a greenhouse on their property.

    Despite their own hardship, K.T.’s family adopted Gray’s group as their own, Gray said – letting them stay on their property, making them tea and coffee, and sharing meals with them. Their generosity served as another reminder that, even in desperate times, humanity shines through.

    On February 19, Gray got back to Alaska. When a 6.3 magnitude aftershock hit Turkey the next day, she immediately reached out to K.T. and others she befriended on her journey to make sure they were all okay. She’s working to send another team of volunteers very soon.

  • Thank you for the support – Christian Atsui’s family to Akufo-Addo

    Thank you for the support – Christian Atsui’s family to Akufo-Addo

    The late Ghanaian player Christian Astu‘s family has expressed its profound gratitude for the kindness and support received after their loved one tragically perished in the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

    The Twasam family is especially appreciative of the assistance received from the government, President Akufo-Addo, and Ghanaians during this difficult time.

    Robert Ani, a family spokesman, told Nii Larte Lartey on Citi Prime News that the family’s gratitude for Christian Atsu’s demise cannot be adequately expressed in words.

    “The support of government and Ghanaians has been overwhelming. First, I want to thank President Akufo-Addo for taking a keen interest right from when the incident occurred. The President has been very helpful. We just want to say thank you to him and Ghanaians also. The support has been overwhelming. People have been calling, visiting and offering the support they can. So far, I will say that it has been overwhelming”, he said.

    Following the 7.8 magnitude catastrophe, Christian Atsu, 31, was discovered dead under the debris at his location in the Turkish province of Hatay last Saturday.

    On Sunday, his body was subsequently brought to Ghana.

    Since then, government representatives, members of the football community, colleagues, supporters, and Ghanaians, in general, have been offering their condolences to the bereaved family as tributes to the hero continue to pour in.

    The government has vowed to fully engage with the family in giving Atsu a proper burial.

    On March 4, 2023, the deceased footballer will be remembered with a one-week memorial observation at the Adjiringanor Astroturf.

    Discussions were completed on Friday between the Atsu family, Ghana Football Association representatives, and Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif ahead of the late footballer’s final funeral rites.

    The parties will meet with President Akufo-Addo next Monday to conclude the rites for the former Chelsea and Newcastle winger, the minister announced.

    “It has been agreed that, on the 4th of March, there will be the one-week observation at the Adjiringanor park from 8am. We have been meeting the Sports Minister and GFA officials, and they have agreed. The funeral itself, we are yet to decide because it’s being done in consultations with the government. So in due course, we will update the public on when the funeral will be held”, Atsu’s family spokesperson confirmed.

  • Breaking: Another devastating earthquake hits Turkey, Syria

    Breaking: Another devastating earthquake hits Turkey, Syria

    About two weeks after the horrific earthquake that occurred on Monday, February 6, 2023, another earthquake is said to have struck Turkey and Syria.

    According to the global news community, AJ+, the earthquake hit the border of Turkey and Syria and had a magnitude of 6.3.

    In a tweet shared on Monday, February 20, 2023, AJ+ added that no causalities have been reported but there were damages to structures.

    “BREAKING: A 6.3 earthquake hit the Turkey-Syria border, two weeks after the devastating earthquake.

    “No new casualties were immediately reported but witnesses report damage. Turkey has reported over 6,000 aftershocks since the February 6 earthquake killed over 46,000 people,” parts of the tweet read.

    Meanwhile, the mortal remains of former Black Stars winger, Christian Atsu, who was trapped in the February 6, 2023 earthquake that hit parts of Turkey and Syria, have been returned to Ghana.

    After a 12-day search, his remains were found under the rubble on February 18, before it was transported to Ghana, arriving on Sunday from Istanbul.

    The earthquake, the second-largest in the last century anywhere in the world, has already claimed more than 40,000 lives both in Turkey and neighbouring Syria, CNN reports.

    Source: Aljazeera

  • Dirty lingerie found in donations to Turkey-Syria earthquake victims

    Dirty lingerie found in donations to Turkey-Syria earthquake victims

    Among the “inappropriate” donations given to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria, pole heels, filthy lingerie, and torn and damaged apparel were found.

    Volunteers are shown in videos posted to TikTok going through crates of help and taking stuff out, including 10-inch latex heels.

    Another video displayed lingerie being dragged out, a brown-stained towel, and a silver disco crop top.

    ‘Clothing collection drop-offs are not a place where you can empty your trash,’ a comment read.

    ‘Those people also have pride. Does your conscience not hurt at all? It is enough for God’s sake. Please, enough.’

    Volunteers working around the clock as part of the relief efforts have appealed for ‘dignity in charity’.

    Stripper shoes, ripped clothing and used lingerie amongst donations sent to Turkey and Syria earthquake survivors
    A pair of ripped old leggings donated to victims of the earthquakes
    Stripper shoes, ripped clothing and used lingerie amongst donations sent to Turkey and Syria earthquake survivors
    There were also boxes of 10-inch heels
    Stripper shoes, ripped clothing and used lingerie amongst donations sent to Turkey and Syria earthquake survivors
    Some blankets were stained or ripped

    Erim Metto, CEO of the Turkish Cypriot Community Association, based in London, told Metro.co.uk that a fifth of all donations were ‘inappropriate’ or ‘unusable’.

    ‘We were very clear about what donations we would accept. We did say we would not accept any inappropriate clothing,’ he said.

    ‘For example, no thin-layer clothing, dresses or high heels. When donations come through, we do a two-stage cycling system.

    ‘The first stage is removing any second-hand, no-good-for-anything donations.

    ‘Our volunteers filter these through and they are discarded – for example, hygiene products that are only half-full and have been used.

    Stripper shoes, ripped clothing and used lingerie amongst donations sent to Turkey and Syria earthquake survivors
    Hundreds of bags of donations were accepted by the TCCA (Picture: Turkish Cypriot Community Association)
    Stripper shoes, ripped clothing and used lingerie amongst donations sent to Turkey and Syria earthquake survivors
    Volunteers have been working around the clock to sift through it and pack it (Picture: Turkish Cypriot Community Association)

    ‘This is not appropriate. Such donations are thrown away.

    ‘Once we get through that first stage, anything that is again not appropriate for the location we are gathering donations for, but is still usable, we would package separately and give to Trade.’

    The sheer magnitude of the two earthquakes led to the deadliest natural disaster in the region in the last 100 years.

    According to Turkish authorities, more than 36,000 people have been killed, and the death toll continues to rise.

    Meanwhile, the Syrian government and the United Nations say more than 5,800 victims have been recorded across the border.

    Stripper shoes, ripped clothing and used lingerie amongst donations sent to Turkey and Syria earthquake survivors
    The TCCA stopped accepting donations because of the influx of clothes (Picture: Turkish Cypriot Community Association)

    The world has watched in horror as hundreds of thousands of people in the two countries have been left without shelter and warm clothes in as low as 0°C.

    Mr Metto, a filmmaker from Turkish-Cypriot descent, said donations were far higher than in the past.

    On the day the earthquakes took place, TCCA received more than 240 phone calls from people desperate to help.

    To put this in perspective, the association normally registers between 30 and 40 at the most.

    ‘We have done a lot of donation schemes in the past to help the homeless, people in Ukraine and we supported the community during Covid,’ the CEO said.

    Stripper shoes, ripped clothing and used lingerie amongst donations sent to Turkey and Syria earthquake survivors
    London mayor Sadiq Khan visited the TCCA earlier in the week (Picure: Turkish Cypriot Community Association)

    ‘But this time the donations were far higher than we expected. By Wednesday, we had already retracted our appeal for donations.’

    Most organisations have stressed that money is the best way to help the victims of the catastrophic event.

    What may be well-intentioned efforts to donate items such as clothing, becomes a logistical nightmare when having to be transported across the border.

    Mr Metto said a number of organisations have been collecting anything they can without a system of sifting through it.

    He said large lorries, which are independent from any official charities, have been transporting aid to Turkey and ‘dumping it on the side of the road’ because there are no available storage facilities.

    Source: Metro.co.uk

  • All you need to know about Christian Atsu

    All you need to know about Christian Atsu

    Until he passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2023,Ghanaian professional football player, Christian Atsu Twasam, spent time with Hatayspor of Turkey’s top division.

    While he may have spent the majority of his career playing on loan, Atsu had a pretty successful career playing for renowned clubs in Europe.

    He had a special talent and was a great football player. He earned the nickname “Ghana Messi” for his amazing dribbling abilities.

    Youth Career

    Christian Atsu was born in Ada Foah in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. He attended the Feyenoord Football Academy in Gomoah Fetteh, now the West African Football Academy in Sogakope in the Volta Region of Ghana.

    He later joined Cheetah FC for GHC3,000 from Feyenoord in 2009.

    Senior career

    Patrick Greveraars, a manager scouted him after he arrived at Porto at the age of 17. He was called by first-team manager André Villas-Boas for a Primeira Liga match against Marítimo on May 14, 2011, but he did not leave the bench.

    Christian Atsu was sent on loan to fellow league side Rio Ave for the 2011–12 season. On August 28, 2011, he made his debut against Olhanense in a 0–1 home loss. He opened a score at Estádio da Luz against Benfica in the 24th minute, but the hosts eventually won it 5–1 on 16 December 2011.

    The Ghanaian landed the first big move in his career in 2013 when he completed a £3.5 million transfer to English Premier League side, Chelsea.

    He was sent out on a season-long loan right after the transfer to the Dutch side Vitesse Vitesse. He scored 5 goals in 25 games in the 2013-2014 season.

    Atsu signed a five-year contract with Chelsea and spent all five years on loan at other clubs.

    After the Vitesse loan deal, he was sent on another season-long loan to Everton, then to Bournemouth, and Malaga before spending the last year of his Chelsea contract at Newcastle United.

    Newcastle secured the Ghanaian on a permanent deal in 2017 for £6.2 million from Chelsea. He spent four years at the club before joining Al-Raed as a free agent in 2021.

    He played only 8 games for the club before joining Turkish side Hatayspor in September 2022 on an initial one-year contract.

    He played three games and scored just one goal. His only goal for the club was a 90th-minute winner from a freekick against Kasimpa a night before the earthquake occurred in Turkey.

    International career

    Atsu won his first senior cap for Ghana on 1 June 2012 against Lesotho, scoring in the process. He was described by the BBC as an “excellent prospect”, whilst ESPN added he was “quick and technically impressive”, and a potential future star for his national team.

    The following year, he was in the Ghanaian squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. He started the first match, a 2–2 draw against DR Congo, and as a substitute in the following 1–0 win over Mali.

    He returned to the starting line-up in the last group match against Niger in Port Elizabeth, scoring the second goal of a 3–0 win which put his country into the quarter-finals as group winners.

    Atsu featured in the rest of Ghana’s matches as they came forth, scoring in their penalty shootout elimination by Burkina Faso.

    Atsu was selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad, starting in all the matches as Ghana was eliminated in the group stage.

    At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Atsu scored twice in a 3–0 win over Guinea in the quarter-finals. He helped the team to the final, where they lost in a penalty shootout against the Ivory Coast.

    At the end of the tournament, he was awarded both the Player of the Tournament and the Goal of the Tournament for his strike against Guinea.

    Personal life

    Atsu was a devout Christian who shared Bible verses on social media. He was married to a German, Marie-Claire Rupio, with two sons and a daughter.

    Honours

    Primeira Liga: 2012–13

    Supertaca Candido de Oliveira: 2012

    EFL Championship: 2016–17

    Africa Cup of Nations runner-up:2015

    Vitesse Player of the Year: 2013–14

    Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament: 2015

    Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015, 2017

    Africa Cup of Nations Goal of the Tournament: 2015

    Source: Ghanaweb via MyInfogh

  • Celebrity tributes pour in for Christian Atsu

    Celebrity tributes pour in for Christian Atsu

    Tributes have started pouring in for former Black Stars player, Christian Atsu.

    Following the official announcement of the death of Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu, a lot of people including celebrities have been paying tribute to him.

    The footballer was among thousands who lost their lives after an earthquake in Turkey and Syria happened on February 6, 2023.

    After his club, Hatayspor, confirmed his passing, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement to that effect.

    For the past two weeks, a lot of people had been waiting for positive news about Atsu’s miraculous escape from the disaster until the confirmation of his death. 

    His mortal remains arrived at the Kotaka International Airport on Sunday, February 19, 2023.

    In the meantime, some Ghanaian celebrities have taken to social media to mourn Ghana’s lost treasure. 

    See some of the reactions below: 

    https://twitter.com/ASAMOAH_GYAN3/status/1626891950455390210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1626891950455390210%7Ctwgr%5E2aa54a608fa34d1a199a6137c8d465c0dc618529%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myjoyonline.com%2Fcelebrities-mourn-christian-atsu%2F

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • ‘An aftershock every four minutes’, says Turkey’s disaster agency

    ‘An aftershock every four minutes’, says Turkey’s disaster agency

    Since the earthquakes last week, there have been approximately 4,700 aftershocks, or one every four minutes, according to Orhan Tatar, general director of earthquake and risk reduction at the nation’s disaster agency.

    “Most of these aftershocks are palpable,” Tatar said, adding that about 40 of them were above magnitude 4.

    He also said that magnitude-5 tremors may occur in the coming days.

    People sit at a camp next to the site of a destroyed high-end building in Antakya, Turkey [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters]