Tag: Turkey

News

Turkish lawmaker slumps on stage seconds after saying Israel won’t escape Allah’s wrath

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TURKEY- Turkish lawmaker Hasan Bitmez has collapsed in the Parliament after declaring that Israel would “suffer the wrath of Allah.” Mr Bitmez, 53, collapsed on stage while delivering his speech on the 2024 Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Internal Affairs budget.  “You will not escape the wrath of Allah. I salute you all,” the MP told Israel in a viral video trending on X (formerly Twitter) a few seconds before he slumped.  During his address, Mr Bitmez quoted a poem by Turkish writer Sezai Karakoc, stating, “Even if history remains silent, the truth will not remain silent. They think that if they get rid of us, there will be no problem.  “However, if you get rid of us, you will not be able to escape the torment of conscience. Even if you escape the torment of history, you will not be able to escape the wrath of Allah.”  A member of the Grand National Assembly, Mr Bitmez was immediately given CPR on the spot before he was moved to a hospital.  Confirming the incident, Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca, …

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World News

Turkey! Ghanaian Christian Atsu trapped in earthquake rubbles

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Chris Udochukwu There is fear for the life of Ghanaian international player, Christian Atsu who is trapped in rubbles after massive earthquakes rocked Turkey on Monday. Atsu, 31, plays for Turkish Süper Lig club Hatayspor and the Ghana national team. He was reported to be trapped in the rubbles of the quake with Hatayspor Sporting Director Taner Savut. Leading Turkish sport presenter Yagız Sabuncuoglu tweeted that “Hatayspor Sporting Director Taner Savut and Cristian Atsu were left under the rubble. Search and rescue teams are looking for two names. “Search and rescue efforts continue for Cristian Atsu and Taner Savut. Both names have not been reached yet.” The Ghana Football Association, also in a tweet said “We pray for Ghana International Christian Atsu and victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. We continue with our efforts to establish contact with officials of Hataspor and the Turkish Football Federation, considering the difficult situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with Christian Atsu and our brothers and sisters in Turkey and Syria. We remain hopeful for positive news.” Atsu primarily plays as a …

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Politics

Atiku Reacts To Reports Gov Wike Snubbed His Emissary In Turkey

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Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has disagreed with the reports that Governor Nyesome Wike snubbed his emissary in Turkey.Reports had emerged that Wike refused to grant audience to a former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Waziri who was sent by Atiku. It was also reported that Wike refused to speak on telephone with Atiku and his emissaries who were trying to have a meeting with him. This comes amid speculation that Wike might be looking to dump the opposition party, after losing the PDP’s presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar.Atiku also snubbed Wike for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state when he picked his running mate.This has resulted in tension within the leading opposition party. But, Paul Ibe, Atiku’s Senior Special Adviser on Media, denied the reports, saying the PDP Presidential candidate did not send any emissary to Turkey. He assured that all issues with Governor Wike and other aggrieved leaders will be amicably resolved ”The report that H.E @atiku sent an emissary who was shunned by Gov Wike is at best hogwash. …

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News

Wike shares more photos from his vacation in Turkey amidst rumors of his planned meeting with Tinubu in France

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Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, has shared new photos of himself relaxing in Turkey. The governor arrived in the country with his Abia state counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu, where they are vacationing. He shared the photos on his social media handles last night amidst rumors of his planned meeting with APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in France. Political sources say the meeting was earlier scheduled to be in Spain but was moved to France where Tinubu is currently holding meetings as regards his presidential aspiration. It is not clear what the intention of their ‘meeting’ would be.

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News

Europe court condemns Turkey over post-coup arrests of judges

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The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday ruled that Turkey had acted unlawfully by arresting over 400 judges and prosecutors after a failed 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Responding to a complaint brought by 427 members of the Turkish judiciary who were arrested after the failed putsch, the court said their detentions were marked by “unlawfulness” and ordered Ankara to pay damages to each applicant. They had been arrested as part of a mass crackdown on supporters of the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan who the president blamed for the coup bid. The ruling is the latest by the Strasbourg-based ECHR against Turkey, a member of the Council of Europe of which the court is a part since 1950. It said the detentions had violated the European Convention on Human Rights, which the court enforces, “on account of the unlawfulness of the initial pre-trial detention of the applicants”. The court has previously in separate rulings ordered Turkey to free jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas and civil society leader Osman Kavala who were …

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World News

45 migrants feared dead as boat sinks off Turkey

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A migrant boat carrying 45 people sank off southwest Turkey, prompting the coast guard to launch a search and rescue mission, the Turkish defence ministry said Friday. The coast guard was searching for the missing boat “after receiving a tip-off” that it sank on Thursday some 260 kilometres (160 miles) off the coast of the holiday resort town of Kas, the ministry said in a statement. There was no immediate information on the nationalities or whereabouts of the migrants. Illegal immigrants often use Turkey as a gateway to reach prosperous European Union states, mainly via Greece. Many rely on smugglers and risk their lives through perilous journeys in overcrowded boats. In 2016, Turkey inked a deal with the EU to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. (AFP)

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Opinion

The blood of Biafra by Femi Fani-Kayode

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“And the Lord asked Cain, ‘where is thy brother Abel?’ And he said ‘I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?’And the Lord said, ‘what have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground’- Genesis 4: 9-10. Today is Biafra day. It is a day that has been set aside to honor the memory of the 3 to 5 million Biafran civilians that were killed in the Nigerian civil war whichtook place from 1967 to 1970. It is pertinent to note that 95% of those that were killed were civilians and at least one million of them were innocent children who were purposely targetted and systematically and clinically starved to death. This is one of the greatest war-time atrocities and barbaric acts of ethnic cleansing, mass murder and genocide in human history and the entire world sat by silently and watched with horror and disgust as the Nigerian state effected it with cold-blooded precision. To use Macbeth’s infamous words in William Shakespeare’s famous play, this was indeed a “bloody business”. Yet at the …

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Lifestyle / News / Sports

FC Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons Face Tricky Away Trips, As Osun Babes And Sunshine Queens Clash in South-west Derby.

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By Joan Nnenna Iwuchukwu Abuja (Precise Post) – After a thrilling round of fixtures in the last outing of the NWFL Premiership, week 7 throws up some more exciting ties as Edo Queens seek a quick return to winning ways, when they face Confluence Queens at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, Nasarawa Amazons will take on struggling Ibom Angels at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo. Osun Babes will be hoping to dust themselves off against Sunshine Queens at the Osogbo City Stadium on Wednesday after losing 2-1 to Rivers Angels in Porthacourt. . Here is the Week 7 Preview of the NWFL Premiership. Delta Queens 🆚 FC Robo Queens ( This fixture in 2019 ended in a draw, which got the late George Emenetie sacked by Delta Queens Chairman, Tony Okowa. This time around, Delta Queens look more confident, having won all their home games at home this season and even picked a point away from home last week. Osahon Emmanuel will still be without his influential captain, Gift Monday and Habibat Akinwande, who are both in Turkey with the …

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Sports

Liverpool Bolster Defence, Minamino Off To Saints As Window Shuts

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By Our Reporter Abuja (Precise Post) – Liverpool finally bolstered their defensive options by signing Schalke’s Ozan Kabak and Preston’s Ben Davies before the Premier League transfer window slammed shut on Monday. Meanwhile, Premier League champions’ Japanese attacking midfielder Takumi Minamino left for Southampton on loan until the end of the season in one of the few moves between Premier League clubs on a quiet deadline day. The January window is regarded as a sellers’ market and often a time for stop-gap measures but Liverpool was forced to act. The champions are missing all of their senior central defenders, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip out of action. Fabinho, who had impressed at centre-back after moving from his usual midfield position, recently joined the injured list while captain Jordan Henderson, who usually plays in midfield, has been forced to deputise at the back. Japanese international Minamino departed Anfield for Southampton in a surprise move allowed to be completed after the window shut because the Saints had submitted the necessary paperwork in time. “I am very pleased to …

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World News

2016 Failed Coup: 92 People Bag Life Sentences in Turkey

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By Our Corresponent Turkey (Precise Post) – The Ankara court on Wednesday sentenced 92 defendants, including former generals to life in prison or attempting to violate constitutional order. The trial was linked to the 2016 abortive putsch by a faction in Turkish military. The trial, focusing on the incidents at land forces headquarters in Ankara, started in 2017 with 132 defendants on trial. Out of the 92 life sentences given, 12 were aggravated life sentences, state news agency Anadolu reported. Aggravated life sentences are the most severe terms possible in Turkey. Twenty-eight people were given varying jail sentences, with some facing up to more than 19 years in prison. The charges ranged from attempted murder to membership in an armed terrorist organisation. The court acquitted nine people of all charges, while trial will continue for three others, Anadolu reported. Turkey blames U.S-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen for the attempted coup on July 15, 2016 and has jailed thousands over alleged links to the cleric. Once an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Gulen denies any role in the failed attempt …

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World News

5 Years After, Erdogan’s Son-in-law Resigns as Finance Minister

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Abuja (Precise Post) – The son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan resigned on Sunday as finance minister, citing health reasons in a statement on his verified Instagram account.“After serving in ministerial posts for nearly five years, I took the decision not to continue my duty (as finance minister) due to health issues,” Berat Albayrak said. He said he would spend more time with his family whom he said he “neglected”, according to the statement. Albayrak, 42, is married to Erdogan’s elder daughter Esra and has been finance minister since 2018. He was energy minister before that between 2015 and 2018. Whether the resignation will be accepted is not yet known. When Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu resigned earlier this year, Erdogan refused to accept it and Soylu remains in his post today. Albayrak’s resignation comes a day after Erdogan sacked the central bank governor after the Turkish lira lost 30 percent of its value against the US dollar since the start of the year. The new governor is former finance minister Naci Agbal who replaced Murat Uysal, who was …

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World News

Turkey Bars Nine EU Countries Entry Over Coronavirus

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Our Reporter Istanbul (Precise Post) – Travellers from nine European countries have been banned entry into Turkey to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The Interior Ministry said this early on Saturday in a statement. All border gates are closed to passengers coming from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden starting at 8 am (0500 GMT) on Saturday, the ministry added. Citizens of these nine countries are allowed to leave Turkey, it said further. Other third-country citizens, who have been in these nine countries over the past 14 days, are also not allowed to enter Turkey, the statement said. Turkish citizens are “temporarily” suspended from travelling to these nine countries, the ministry added. Turkey on Friday said it was suspending flights to those nine countries until April 17, starting at the same time of border closure. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Turkey increased to five on Friday. Ankara had earlier halted flights to China, Iran, Iraq, Italy, and South Korea.

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World News

Erdogan’s Deputy says Turkey Will Not Be ‘moved By Threats’

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Istanbul – Turkish Vice President, Fuat Oktay, said his country would not be cowed by threats, in Ankara’s first and muted response to President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Turkey’s economy. “Our message to the international community is clear. Turkey is not a country that will be moved by threats,” Oktay said on Tuesday in Ankara. President Recep Erdogan is on an official visit to Serbia and there has been no further reaction from his administration. On Monday, the U.S. president threatened to “totally destroy and obliterate the economy of Turkey,” if it took steps that are “off limits” in its planned incursion into north-eastern Syria. In 2018, the NATO allies imposed tit-for-tat sanctions on each other’s ministers, as well as tariffs on imports over the detention of a pastor. The row escalated a currency crisis in Turkey, with the lira losing more than 40 per cent of its value against the dollar. The Turkish lira, which fell steeply to 5.84 against the U.S. dollar on Monday, was trading at around 5.82 after Tuesday’s opening. Some U.S. troops have started …

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