The Turkish government on Friday solicited humanitarian assistance from its Nigerian counterpart for victims of the recent devastating earthquake in the country.
In a statement in Abuja, the Turkish Embassy said the assistance would cushion the effect of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed 22,000 and devastated some cities of South-eastern Turkey and Syria during the week.
President Recep Erdogan had during the week declared a national emergency in Turkey and appealed for international humanitarian support for the victims of the disaster.
The Embassy urged other public-spirited individuals in Nigeria to send the items to the victims of the earthquake via Turkish airlines and indicate the addresses in Abuja and Lagos where the items would be dropped.
The statement read: “To the kind attention of volunteers who wish to make in-kind donations to those affected by the powerful earthquakes in Turkiye.
“Donations of the following most-needed items will be highly appreciated: Winter clothing for adults and children; winter jacket, overcoat, raincoat, boots, sweater, trousers, gloves neckpiece, neck scarf, beret, cop Socks, underwear.
“Other items are a tent, bed mattress (for the tents), blanket, sleeping bag, mummy Bag, Catalytic stove with a tube, heater cylinder, tube vacuum flask, thermos, torch, power bank, and generator.
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Emergency workers in southern Turkey have rescued a 10-year-old boy from a collapsed house, four days after an earthquake caused devastation across large parts of the country’s border with Syria.
The boy had been trapped under the rubble in the town of Kahramanmaraş for more than 100 hours.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF), which has been assisting with the rescue work, tweeted on Friday.
“The rescue teams provided the boy with lifesaving medical treatment during the rescue and afterwards transferred him to a hospital for further medical treatment,’’ the IDF said.
Israel sent more than 380 aid workers to Turkey in recent days as part of a relief operation, including doctors, nurses and paramedics.
It has been a tumultuous 24+ hours for Türkiye, as the nation stands perplexed and unknowing of what lies beyond the oblivious wall, after experiencing what could well be the most devastating disaster of the century thus far.
In a heartening display of relief, the Turkish Wrestling Federation reported that eight wrestlers have been rescued from the wreckages in the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes thus far.
Kahramanmaraş Municipality athletes tragically found themselves beneath the debris of the quake, the seismic force of which was centered in Kahramanmaraş and left its mark throughout many provinces, such as Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Şanlıurfa.
National wrestler Taha Akgül took to his social media account to report that the building housing dozens of athletes had been demolished, with an estimated 30-40 wrestlers inside.
The Turkish Wrestling Federation has declared that their rescue operations are still in force, with 8 athletes having been miraculously pulled from the wreckage thus far.
The Federation commented on the matter saying, “Rescue efforts continue for our wrestlers, who were among the athletes of Kahramanmaraş Municipality who were under the rubble after the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş. The number of wrestlers rescued so far has reached 8. The search and rescue works continue with the great dedication and faith of our wrestling family.”
Sadly, the future looks grim for a group of athletes from Malatya, with their fates far from certain.
The 11 volleyball players and four amputee footballers from Malatya Metropolitan Belediyespor, who were taking part in the playoff of TVF Men’s Volleyball 2nd League 6th Group, are now faced with an uncertain future, as the Kırçuval Hotel in Battalgazi, where they were staying, was reduced to rubble in the wake of the devastating earthquake.
Nothing definitive has been established, but the search-and-rescue operations remain underway to save those still entombed beneath the wreckage.
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Adding to the heartrending tragedy, Yeni Malatyaspor revealed that their goalkeeper Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan was still entombed beneath the rubble, and that there had been no communication from him as yet.
Clearly overcome with emotion, his wife, Kübra Türkaslan took to social media with a desperate cry for help, pleading, “Eyüp has been buried under the rubble for 30 hours, someone please come to his aid.”
She exclaimed in despair, “This place is an utter disaster. We must do something to help Eyüp, who has been trapped beneath the rubble for an agonizing 30 hours with no hope of rescue from the debris without a crane or other heavy equipment.”
An apocalyptic dagger of despair plunged deep into the hearts of Türkiye on Monday, when the country awoke to a harrowing sight – the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that resulted in more than 8,500 fatal casualties, more than 49,000 people sustaining injuries, and almost 15,000 buildings reportedly reduced to dust and debris.
As anticipated although not easy to accept, the inevitable devastation of the earthquake did not spare local sports clubs, leaving several individuals and teams adversely affected.
Hatayspor, Gaziantep FC and Yeni Malatyaspor have all been particularly hard-hit by the calamity.
On Monday, reports emerged that Hatayspor forward Christian Atsu and their sporting director Taner Savut had been buried under debris, with the former later being rescued alive, but unfortunately the latter’s fate is still shrouded in mystery.
Not knowing whether it was a stroke of luck or simply destiny, Gaziantep FK’s team was granted a fortuitous leave, sending most of their football players out of the city.
For Yeni Malatyaspor, it was not the kind of news that anyone would want to receive.
While many of their players were not in the city due to the permission given after the Çaykur Rizespor match, their goal minder Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan stayed behind.
When tragedy struck, he was left entombed beneath the debris with everyone clinging to the hope that he would be rescued unscathed; yet, heartbreakingly, his lifeless body was recovered on Tuesday.
The teams of the Turkish Football Federation’s 2nd League located in the earthquake zone, such as Adıyaman Football Club, Şanlıurfaspor, Amed Sportive Activities, Diyarbekirspor, Iskenderunspor, as well as those of the 3rd League, including Karaköprü Belediyespor, Integrated Solar Elazığspor, 23 Elazığ Football Club, Yarımoğlu Sigorta Kahramanmaraşspor, Osmaniyespor FK and Malatya Arguvanspor, have all been severely affected by the disaster.
Sadness befell many teams in the Regional Amateur League, especially those in the 1st, 2nd and 7th Groups when the disastrous event occurred.
Kahramanmaraş Istiklalspor, the Group 2 leaders, were struck by tragedy when one of their player, Taner Kahriman, was tragically killed after being trapped under rubble.
In a heartbreaking announcement on his social media account, Iskenderunspor President Hakan Bolat declared that goalkeeper trainer Uğur Kurt and U19 player Burak Duraltı were still trapped in the wreckage.
He also revealed that Halil Ibrahim Ölmez who is part of the technical team, was rescued from the debris but currently remains in intensive care.
The remaining athletes and their families had been safely evacuated from Iskenderun.
Gaziantep’s ALG Spor and Onvo Hatayspor in Turkcell Women’s Football Super League Group A, Amed Sports Club and Bitexen Adana İdmanyurduspor in Group B, Doğuş Gold Gaziantep Asya Spor and Birfen College Hatay Defne Spor in the 1st League were all shaken by the devastating earthquake.
Volleyball couple killed Betül Çoban Çakır, the spiker of Merinos Volleyball of Gaziantep, competing in the TVF Women’s 1st League Group B, and her volleyball player husband Bedrettin Çakır tragically could not be saved.
Tragically, Mehmet Can Ağırbaş, one of the athletes who had been pushing for the playoffs in Malatya Metropolitan Belediyespor Team’s TVF Men’s Volleyball 2nd League, 6th Group, was buried beneath the rubble, losing his life.
Turkish Men’s Handball Süper Lig leaders Vefakent Hatay Metropolitan Belediyespor’s Cemal Kütahya and his family, were said to be under the rubble in Hatay.
There are many teams in the volleyball leagues in the region hit by the earthquake.
Manas Energy Hatay Metropolitan Municipality, which competes in the Efeler League, Çukurova Municipality Adana Demirspor of the Sultans League, Hatay Erzin Yeşilkent in the Men’s 1st League, Gaziantep Genclikspor of the 15th Group in the Women’s 2nd League, and Imamoğlu Municipality from the 13th Group were all affected by the earthquake.
Not to mention, Adana Metropolitan Municipality and Seyhan Municipality, all the teams in the Men’s 2nd League 5th Group, and the GAP Youth and Elazig Aksaray Youth clubs from the 6th Group were also affected by the devastating earthquake.
Among the wrestlers who participated in the Feb. 12 Tournament held in Kahramanmaraş, some of the names from the Turkish wrestlers who were among the detritus were salvaged.
It was reported that wrestlers from France, Kosovo and Uzbekistan were evacuated.
Basketballer Aydoğan under rubble It is reported that as of Wednesday Nilay Aydoğan, the national basketball player of Çankaya University, who plays in the ING Türkiye Women’s Basketball Süper Lig, was still trapped under the rubble in Malatya.
The Gaziantep Basketball team, one of the regional teams in the Turkish Basketball Süper Lig, could not return to Gaziantep thanks to their weekend match against Büyükçekmece.
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Fortunately for them, the team also traveled to Germany for the FIBA European Cup challenge.
Women’s Basketball Süper Lig team Tufan Metalurji Hatay Metropolitan Belediyespor, Women’s Basketball League teams Elaziğ Special Provincial Administration, Tarsus Municipality and Elaziğ Basketball were the teams affected in the region.
Speaking to reporters,President Erdoğan said another 49,133 people were injured and a total of 6,444 buildings collapsed in the earthquake.
As of Tuesday morning, AFAD stated that 79,110 aid personnel are working in the region as part of relief efforts.
Tuesday evening, Vice President Fuat Oktay noted that they have started using all airports to organize aid efforts, and helicopters were set to continue work throughout the night as part of disaster relief efforts. Over 450,000 people have been sheltering in student dormitories, he added.
In an earlier news conference, Orhan Tatar, head of the Directorate of Earthquake and Risk Reduction called on all citizens to refrain from entering damaged buildings since unpredictable aftershocks could instantly cause them to collapse. He also called on citizens to not use telephones unless it is an emergency.
Two major earthquakes and 648 aftershocks, that occured since Monday according to the official data from AFAD, also affected sea levels, which rose particularly in the Iskenderun district of Hatay.
Roads, squares and workplaces in the coastal area are flooded, while buildings and workplaces on the boulevard were evacuated due to risks.
After two major earthquakes that shook Türkiye, the sea level rose on the coastal road in the Çay neighborhood of Hatay’s Iskenderun district and overflowed the area near Mete Aslan Boulevard.
The sea level rose in Iskenderun district of Hatay, following 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that ocurred on Monday, Iskenderun, southeastern Türkiye, Feb. 8, 2023. (DHA Photo) The sea level rose in Iskenderun district of Hatay, following 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that ocurred on Monday, Iskenderun, southeastern Türkiye, Feb. 8, 2023. (DHA Photo) People, who visited the streets after the earthquake, were surprised that sea waters had flooded the roads, while it was notable that the sea did not recede even though it has been two days since the earthquake.
The Iskenderun District Governorate also warned people of the region not to enter damaged houses due to potential dangers posed by sea-water overflow in the coastal area. Citizens tried to remain in parks and closed neighborhood markets after the disaster.
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Meanwhile resuce operations are continuing in all 10 provinces, with consoling news coming in from worsely hit provinces Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, where an 80-year old citizen named Abdurrahman and 3-year old Arif Kaan were resuced from the rubble, among others.
Two strong earthquakes on Monday jolted the southeastern part of the country. The earthquakes also hit several neighboring countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon. Syria, already reeling from a decadelong civil war, has been hit particularly badly with over 2,500 deaths and thousands of injuries.
Türkiye announced the closure of schools until Feb. 13 across the country and declared a week of mourning. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Tuesday also announced that a three-month state of emergency had been declared in the 10 provinces hit the worst by the deadly earthquakes
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Kahramanmaraş after a series of high-magnitude earthquakes that shook 10 provinces and said that all the country’s resources have been mobilized, calling for unity.
Speaking to reporters, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan updated the latest death toll to 8,574. He said another 49,133 people were injured and a total of 6,444 buildings collapsed in the earthquake.
Türkiye has taken action with all its institutions since Monday’s deadly quakes, the president added, underlining that all resources have been mobilized.
“Our citizens should not worry, we will never allow them to stay on the street,” he said and highlighted that earthquake victims can stay in contracted hotels in Antalya, Alanya and Mersin provinces.
Erdoğan visited the epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Kahramanmaraş, and will then continue to Hatay province.
The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, struck 10 provinces and affected more than 13 million people.
More than 7,000 soldiers, according to the Turkey’s Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, have been dispatched on disaster and relief duties in the country.
The death toll in the two countries soared to more than 8,700 on Wednesday morning, with the majority of the casualties reported in Turkey.
According to the Turkish state media, no fewer than 6,234 people had died and 37,011 were injured. In government-controlled parts of Syria, at least 812 people were killed and 1,449 injured, according to state media.
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In Syria’s rebel-held northwest, civil defense workers reported 1,280 deaths and more than 2,600 injured — a number they said they expected to rise significantly with hundreds still trapped under rubble.
Latest information says Australia is sending an urban search-and-rescue team of up to 72 people to Turkey to help local authorities who are working against time, and freezing temperatures, to dig people out of the rubble following two large earthquakes.
The passenger flights to Kahramanmaraş, Hatay and Gaziantep airports were suspended after a major 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye’s southeast province early Monday morning.
The flights were halted so that planes carrying rescue teams and relief supplies could reach the region as quickly as possible.
Currently, only planes carrying aid and rescue teams are allowed to land and take off from the two airports. Hatay Airport, whose runway was damaged because of the earthquake, was closed for all flights.
The earthquake that hit 10 Turkish provinces and northern Syria occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş at 4:17 a.m. local time (1:17 a.m. GMT), according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The earthquake left over 1,500 people dead and more than 9,000 others injured.
Rescue operations are underway in Hatay and the affected areas, with the AFAD, the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE), 112 emergency health services, police, gendarmerie and fire brigade teams being dispatched to the districts to ramp up the rescue work.
In Iskenderun, a part of the State Hospital, the Catholic Church, Mithatpaşa Primary School and many buildings tumbled to the ground, while most roads remained blocked off for regular vehicles.
Türkiye announced the closure of schools until Feb. 13 across the country following the deadly earthquake that rocked 11 provinces claiming several lives and causing massive devastation on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Malatya, Education Minister Mahmut Özer said schools will remain closed for a week to focus on the rehabilitation after the earthquake and to mourn the losses.
The minister and his deputies held a crisis meeting in the disaster zone. Officials prepared a list of undamaged schools with residencies, teachers’ hotels, schools and sports centers, for accommodating earthquake victims.
In a bid to mitigate the crisis, the ministry sent TL 1 million in emergency aid to 11 provinces affected by the earthquake while local psychologists headed to the disaster zone to provide support to the affectees.
At least 1,541 people lost their lives while 9,733 people were injured after major earthquakes with 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes struck the southeast of the country on Monday.
Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said 130 aftershocks were reported following the quakes, and 2,834 buildings were demolished so far
Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant (NPP), now under construction in the country’s south, suffered no damage from the earthquakes that jolted the region on Monday morning, officials said.
“Our experts did not detect any damage to the buildings, equipment or cranes in the field. Construction and assembly work continues,” said Anastasia Zoteeva, head of the Akkuyu Nuclear project company, adding that the earthquake was felt at a magnitude of approximately 3 in the region in Mersin, where the plant is being built.
According to Zoteeva, state civil defense and emergency protection units are cooperating with the plant’s emergency units and are preparing to send equipment and personnel to the region.
The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (1:17 a.m. GMT) in Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaraş, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), affecting neighboring provinces, leaving over 1,500 dead and more than 9,000 injured.
Akkuyu on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast will be the country’s first nuclear-powered power plant. The plant, expected to have an installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts and four reactors, is set to begin producing power later this year
At least 1,600 people died Monday in Türkiye when two major earthquakes and 145 aftershocks struck the southeast of the country, officials said.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 1,651 people were killed and 11,119 others were injured following the earthquakes, which were felt in 11 provinces, including Malatya, Şanlıurfa, Osmaniye and Diyarbakır, although the toll threatened to climb much higher because of the heavy damage.
According to the country’s disaster agency, the strong earthquakes originated in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş.
Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (1:17 a.m. GMT) and was centered in the Pazarcık district.
The quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles).
It was followed by a 6.4 magnitude quake that struck southeastern Gaziantep province.
A third earthquake with a 6.5 magnitude also hit Gaziantep.
The initial earthquake was also felt in other southeastern provinces, including Diyarbakır and neighboring countries including Lebanon and Syria.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took to Twitter to convey get-well wishes to citizens affected by the initial earthquake.
He added that AFAD and other units are “on alert.”
He noted that rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the province affected by the earthquake.
“Our Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Health, the AFAD, provincial governorships and all other institutions started their work rapidly.”
President Erdoğan who arrived at the Presidency of AFAD to coordinate the studies regarding the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, said that Türkiye was shaken by the biggest disaster since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake in the last century, adding: ”According to the findings so far, 1,014 of our citizens have lost their lives and 7,634 of our citizens have been injured. The number of people rescued from under the rubble has reached 2,470. The number of demolished buildings is 2,834.”
”Its center was determined as the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş and its moment magnitude was measured as 7.7 according to the last evaluation. The earthquake was felt over a wide area,” the president maintained.
“The earthquake caused destruction in Kahramanmaraş, as well as in Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Adana provinces,” Erdoğan noted.
”Despite minor damage in other provinces relatively close to the earthquake center, it is understood that the real destruction has taken place here. Serious destructions have also occurred in the cities of our southern neighbor Syria, close to our borders. Our state has taken action with all its institutions since the earthquake occurred.”
“We are also coordinating our work after the earthquake. We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage. We will continue our work.”
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu also said that six earthquakes with a magnitude above 6.0 hit the country early Monday.
Western Syria A powerful earthquake killed dozens and injured hundreds in northern and western Syria early on Monday, state media said, as rescue teams battled heavy rain and sleet in a search for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
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“No official numbers yet but dozens reported dead and hundreds injured, many trapped under the rubble,” the force, known as the White Helmets, said in a Twitter message.
Several buildings in the affected areas had already endured damage during Syria’s nearly 12-year civil war
Türkiye declared seven days of national mourning after catastrophic earthquakes and 145 aftershocks devastated the country’s southeastern provinces, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday.
In a message posted on his official Twitter account, the president said the country has declared a week of mourning and will lower its flags to half-mast at home and at diplomatic missions across the world until Feb. 12, 2023.
At least 1,651 people were killed while 11,119 others were injured following magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes with an epicenter in Kahramanmaraş province devastated 10 provinces in the country’s southeast.
Tremors from the earthquake that rocked Türkiye and neighboring Syria on Monday were felt as far away as Greenland, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye is ready to support the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia for regional peace if requested, after a meeting with Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Istanbul on Friday.
“Türkiye is ready to provide all kinds of support for the peace and stability of our region and to make the necessary contribution if requested by the parties,” Erdoğan said in a joint news conference.
Erdoğan added: “We hope that the dialogue process with Serbia will result in a way that ensures the region’s lasting peace and stability.”
Türkiye continued joint efforts to ensure that Kosovo reaches the position it deserves in the international arena, Erdoğan said, adding: “In this regard, we support Kosovo’s vision to join NATO, the Council of Europe, and the EU.”
The president also said he asked Kurti to increase cooperation with Türkiye against the activities of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) – the group behind the 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye – in Kosovo.
Meeting at the Vahdettin Mansion, Erdoğan and Kurti reviewed various aspects of Türkiye-Kosovo relations and the potential steps that would further enhance the bilateral cooperation.
Views on regional and international matters, regarding the Balkans in particular, were on the agenda of the two leaders.
Türkiye recognized Kosovo on Feb. 18, 2008, the very first day following the declaration of independence.
The Balkans is a priority for Türkiye, not only for political, economic and geographical reasons but also for its historical, cultural and human ties with the region.
The relations between Kosovo and Türkiye have been strong due to a vibrant Turkish population in Kosovo and a Kosovar community in Türkiye.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most U.N. member states, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Türkiye, recognizing it as a separate autonomous country. Serbia, however, continues to claim Kosovo as its territory
Adistrict court in Sweden’s capital Stockholm detained a suspect who allegedly financially supported the PKK terrorist group for the first time, according to a statement made by prosecutor Hans Ihrman on Friday.
The suspect in his 40s has been in Sweden for about five years, according to a report by Swedish SR Radio.
Ihrman, citing court documents, said suspicions of attempted terrorist financing arose in connection with an investigation into attempted extortion and the suspect was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempted extortion and aggravated weapons offenses as well as terror financing.
The detention marks the first time that a prosecutor in Sweden linked someone to PKK – a terror group responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in Türkiye.
The suspect refused to comment during the court hearing, said the report.
Sweden has been seeking Türkiye’s approval to join NATO, for which it applied after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. NATO membership requires the approval of all 30 member states but Ankara has been withholding its “yes” vote.
Turkish officials criticize Sweden for harboring and tolerating members of terrorist organizations like the PKK and Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which, helmed by U.S.-based Fetullah Gülen, orchestrated the defeated 2016 coup in Türkiye, where 251 people were killed and 2,734 were injured.
Many times, Turkish officials said the Nordic nation needs to take a tougher stance against terrorist groups and their sympathizers.
Most recently, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye would not OK Sweden’s bid, due to their failure to abide by the terms of a trilateral memorandum signed in the summer.
But despite objections from Türkiye, Sweden and Finland’s premiers vowed to see the completion of their NATO applications together.
The Swedish government formalized its anti-terrorism bill on Thursday.
“The bill will be sent to the parliament in March and that will come into effect from June 1. This is a cornerstone in Sweden’s long-term commitment to fighting terrorism,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted.
“The proposed legislation widens the scope of activities that can be prosecuted, particularly within a terrorist organization that does not need to be concretely connected to a specific terrorism-related crime,” Kristersson’s Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told a separate news conference on Thursday.
Actions such as handling equipment, organizing camps or locations for meetings, cooking or being in charge of transport for designated terrorist organizations would be criminalized under the new law.
The legislation only partially meets Ankara’s demands about cutting support to terrorists since, according to Strommer, “partaking in a demonstration or at a meeting will not in itself be punishable.”
The Foreign Ministry summoned the envoys of nine countries, including ones that have closed their diplomatic missions in Türkiye, diplomatic sources said Thursday.
Sources noted that the ambassadors and representatives of the U.S., the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy were summoned to the ministry in Ankara to convey Türkiye’s reaction.
The ministry reminded the diplomats that Türkiye ensures the security of all diplomatic missions in th ecountry in line with international agreements and that such simultaneous acts are not proportional and prudent approaches, and only serve the insidious agendas of terrorist groups.
The diplomats were told that Ankara expects allied and friendly nations to cooperate with Turkish security forces regarding the matter.
On Thursday, five consulates, including the German, French, Dutch, Belgian and the United Kingdom were closed citing alleged security threats.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu slammed the move, saying that it amounted to “psychological warfare” at a time of growing tourism revenues.
Turkish media outlets also reported that Pierre Loti French High School in Istanbul would be closed on Thursday and Friday, reporting a message to students’ parents citing “reasons related to security.” The Belgian Consulate will also remain closed on Friday while it is unclear whether the British Consulate will reopen on Friday.
Soylu dismissed their claim of “security threats,” citing Türkiye’s successful counterterrorism operations. He said between the start of January and Thursday alone, Türkiye carried out as many as 60 operations against Daesh and detained 95 people. Last year, close to 2,000 Daesh suspects were detained in more than 1,000 operations against the group, he highlighted. Earlier this week, the Interior Ministry said Turkish authorities had detained a number of suspects following a warning from a “friendly country,” but hadn’t found any weapons, ammunition, or sign of a planned act of violence.
Türkiye values military exercises in the face of ongoing political and military challenges in the region, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.
“We are witnessing various important political and military developments, both in the regional arena and in the world, in the period we are going through.
“We all see together that the armed forces should be more effective and more deterrent than ever before. For this, we need to see that the exercises are of vital importance,” Hulusi Akar said at the “distinguished observer day” of the Winter Exercise-2023 in the eastern province of Kars.
Starting Jan. 18, the exercise had 16 participants from friendly and allied countries, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Germany, and the U.K. The exercise officially ends on Friday.
“Our aim is not war. We continue our efforts to protect the rights and interests of our country and our nation and to ensure security,” Akar added.
The defense chief said Türkiye has conducted 985 military exercises since 2018 and is planning to conduct 206 exercises in 2023.
Akar attended the observer day along with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov and Georgian counterpart Juansher Burchuladze.
A total of 2,113 personnel took part in the exercise, and over 650 vehicles and 860 weapons were used.
The aim of the exercise was to ensure cooperation and coordination in the execution of combined and joint operations, test the combat capabilities of units, including firing in deep snow and severe cold, and improve the synchronization of firing and maneuvering by simulating the battlefield in all its dimensions.
The Foreign Ministry summoned the Norwegian ambassador to Ankara on Thursday. A statement by the ministry said the envoy was summoned upon learning that a Quran burning would take place in the Nordic country on Friday.
“It was emphasized to the ambassador that we strongly condemn Norway’s approach not to prevent the planned provocative act, which is clearly a hate crime, this attitude is unacceptable and we expect this act not to be allowed,” the diplomatic sources told Anadolu Agency (AA).
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu later told reporters that upon their warning to the country, Norway rescinded the permit for the act.
Quran burning demonstrations by Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan in Sweden and Denmark prompted global protests by Muslims in recent weeks. Norway is no stranger to such acts. Lars Thorsen, a well-known anti-Muslim extremist, burned a copy of the Quran in the country last year.
Although Türkiye repeatedly condemned such acts, Paludan’s provocation came at a time of tensions between Türkiye and Sweden over the latter’s NATO membership bid that needs to be ratified by Ankara. Paludan’s act was apparently in response to Türkiye’s opposition to Sweden’s NATO bid without desisting from harboring terrorists, namely those from the PKK and Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), as the Danish politician chose a venue outside the Turkish Embassy to burn the Quran.
Sweden and Denmark’s permission for far-right figures like Danish politician Rasmus Paludan to burn the Quran on grounds of freedom of expression not only affects Muslims but raises concerns among other religious groups too, a Swedish rights activist said told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday.
Helene Sejlert, a political scientist and human rights defender, said that Paludan’s anti-Islamic acts are causing more problems, putting more people in danger.
“His actions are spoon-feeding racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. If the law can’t stop that, there’s clearly something wrong with the law!” Sejlert said.
His actions are harming so many, she said. “Large (different) groups are now scared of just saying that they are Muslims or Jews.”
“To escalate the hate against these groups is of course also the aim for a bigot like Paludan,” she added.
Paludan, who holds both Danish and Swedish citizenship, last week burned copies of the Quran on two separate occasions, first outside the Turkish Embassy in Sweden and later in front of a mosque in Denmark.
Burning Quran ‘bone-chilling echo of Nazi’ mentality
“The burning of the holy Quran, is a bone-chilling echo of Nazi book-burnings, where ‘the other’ was demonized and the ‘un-pure’ people or material should be exterminated,” Sejlert said. “This is a rhetoric Paludan (and other extremists) has used when addressing what he views as ‘The Muslim problem’.”
She also said there is “way too little knowledge on how to address and combat racism and Islamophobia” in Swedish society.
The opinions expressed by a few radicals, like in the case of Paludan, is not “just a cheap, isolated event, spread for the wind by a crazy lone wolf,” Sejlert said. “It is rather a reflection of the society we live in and an extension of the hate that is growing in every corner of our streets. Many times this hatred is directed at Muslims.”
She continued: “These few radicals get a free ride by media who gives them a platform to ventilate their racism and Islamophobia, and then social media drives the topic to a boiling point.
“As the emotions run wilder, normal limits of decency are trespassed, the words used to get more and more emotional and hateful towards ‘the other’ and starts to appeal to an even broader group.”
Police could have prevented attack, says Sejlert While there is already “a lot of hate-mongering and disinformation” across the society, Paludan did not only burn copies of Quran, but “set fire to an inflamed situation,” Sejlert said.
“Sweden should have acted wiser and more fair,” she asserted. “Sweden should have set an example to not hurt a large chunk of its population even more.”
Sejlert said, “the law is clear and the police could have called the provocation off by invoking security concerns, since the hateful act very well could result in violence.”
Sweden Democrats, an anti-Islam and anti-immigrant party, won 22% of the votes last fall and became a strong voice in the government and life in the country is getting harder and harder for Muslims, she argued.
The Swedish Foreign Minister claimed that his country is abiding by the trilateral agreement signed with Türkiye and Finland on NATO membership and that religion was not part of that deal.
Türkiye, having signed a memorandum at a NATO summit last year to clear the way for Sweden and Finland to join, has been disturbed by a series of anti-Türkiye protests by supporters of the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian offshoot YPG in Sweden.
Far-right extremist Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan also set a Quran on fire, and Erdoğan has now held out the prospect that he could allow Finland to join, but not Sweden.
But Billström told the TT news agency that “religion is not part of the agreement” that was signed with Türkiye.
He said he understands Turkish anger over the incidents, which although legal are not respectful. He added that it is now necessary for all sides to calm down and that talks with Türkiye would continue.
Per a tripartite memorandum the sides inked in June last year, Stockholm has vowed to meet the said demands, including extraditing and increasing its crackdown on terrorist groups. For the previous month, however, public support in Sweden for the terrorist groups from their sympathizers has been raising the tensions between the two countries, which Ankara has repeatedly warned would jeopardize Stockholm’s NATO membership process.
Last week, Ankara suspended NATO talks with the two Nordic nations after an incident in Stockholm in which a far-right politician burned a copy of the Quran in front of its embassy, which drew global backlash.
Türkiye was already outraged by a Swedish prosecutor’s decision not to press charges against PKK terrorist sympathizers that hung President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s effigy by its ankles outside Stockholm City Court.
Erdoğan said Sweden “shouldn’t expect any support from Türkiye,” considering the leeway Swedish authorities gave for such public displays, even indicating that his country could approve Finland’s application and leave Sweden “shocked.”
Scrambling to stay in Ankara’s good graces, Helsinki reportedly made “immediate contact” with Erdoğan after his hint, with foreign ministers already convening for “preliminary discussions.”
Türkiye raised its tourism estimates on Tuesday, encouraged by fresh data that indicated a complete rebound from a pandemic fallout, as foreign arrivals in 2022 neared a record and revenues hit an all-time high.
Foreign visitors arriving in Türkiye surged 80.33% year-over-year to 44.6 million in 2022, just shy of the peak of 45.1 million in 2019, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said. The arrivals saw a rise compared to the 24.71 million foreign visitors in 2021 and 12.73 million in 2020.
Separate data showed tourism revenues jumped 53.4% year-over-year to a record $46.3 billion last year, blowing past the previous high of $38.4 billion in 2019 before the pandemic hit. The figure stood at $30.2 billion in 2021 after the outbreak more than halved it to just $14.8 billion in 2020.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said foreign arrivals are expected to reach 60 million in 2023, before hitting 90 million in 2028. For the income, Ersoy said they see it rising to $56 billion this year and $100 billion five years from now.
COVID-19 restrictions all but dissipated in 2022 and Russians came in droves partly due to flight restrictions imposed by Western nations over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of Russians are also estimated to have moved last year to Türkiye, seen as a safe haven for investment in homes and other assets.
Arrivals were also backed by a surging demand from European countries, spearheaded by Germany and the United Kingdom.
At 5.7 million, Germans topped the list among nations in 2022 and made up some 12.7% of all visitors, the Culture and Tourism Ministry data showed. They were followed by Russians at 5.2 million, Britons at 3.3 million, Bulgarians at 2.9 million and Iranians at 2.3 million.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Türkiye in December alone rose 27% from the same period in 2021 to 2.4 million, the Culture and Tourism Ministry data showed. The tourism revenue climbed 22.2% year-over-year to $11.37 billion in the fourth quarter, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said.
Record in spending The foreign exchange it brings in makes tourism income vital to Türkiye’s economy, as the government’s new economic program focuses on flipping the current account deficits to a surplus, prioritizing exports, production and investments while curbing rising inflation.
A depreciation in the Turkish lira was one of the main drivers for European and Arab tourists last year, sector officials said. The lira weakened some 44% against the U.S. dollar in 2021 and nearly 30% in 2022 but remained stable in the last quarter.
Unveiling five-year targets at an event in Istanbul on Tuesday, Ersoy touted Türkiye’s success given that it managed to go through the coronavirus pandemic with less damage than other countries around the world.
Ersoy’s presentation suggested that foreign arrivals in Türkiye fell 69% after 2019 due to the outbreak that halted global travel and confined people to their homes, versus a 72% drop in the world. He said the world had reached 65% of pre-pandemic levels, whereas Türkiye rebounded to numbers seen before the outbreak.
Istanbul, Türkiye’s most famous city and its largest by population, remained the top draw for foreign visitors, welcoming more than 16 million tourists in 2022. It was followed by the Mediterranean resort city Antalya with 12.8 million visitors. Edirne, a city in northwestern Türkiye bordering Bulgaria and Greece, sat third with 4.6 million tourists.
The average expenditure per night for overnight visitors reached $87.50 in 2022, a record that Ersoy said is expected to jump to $95 this year and $118 in 2028.
The average expenditure per capita came in at $901 in 2022, the TurkStat data showed.
The number of Turkish citizens traveling abroad soared 165.4% to 7.3 million, with their average expenditure reaching $589 per capita, the data showed.
‘Immunity’ to crises Ersoy also stressed that the government would be expanding its work regarding market diversification and promotional activities, instead of only focusing on nearby regions.
“Every destination that Turkish Airlines flies to is our target market. We have formed new focus markets within the scope of product diversification. We will see very serious increases in these markets,” he noted.
He particularly noted the United States. “We exceeded the number of 1 million visitors from the U.S. last year. Our goal is to host 1.7 or 1.8 million visitors in 2023,” he noted.
“We will also focus on the countries of South America, Scandinavia, the Gulf and the Far East. Another advantage of these countries is that they come from a remote destination, so they leave more money given the income per person since their average stay is longer.”
The main focus of the tourism strategies is finding a way to make Türkiye immune to crises, Ersoy said.
“Our market diversification studies are important in this regard. Türkiye is no longer a country that depends on a single market,” he said, stressing the ability to close any gap “with the share in the cake received from different countries.”
“Turkish tourism has now become immune to crises. For instance, there was a negative reflection caused by the exchange rate differences in the dollar parity. Still, despite this, we were not very impacted due to the market and product diversity,” the minister added.
“As is known, we are living with global cost inflation. We should no longer work by being cost-oriented but income-oriented. We have also achieved a very serious increase in our revenues.”
As the way things currently stand, Türkiye can’t accept Sweden’s NATO membership, according to the country’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
“Just like Hungary, Türkiye supports NATO’s expansion and has always sported the same attitude about the membership of candidate states,” Çavuşoğlu told a press conference in Budapest on Tuesday following a one-on-one meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto.
“However,” he continued, “while Türkiye understands Sweden and Finland’s security concerns, it’s unacceptable that Türkiye’s security concerns are not met.”
Çavuşoğlu’s remarks followed two tumultuous weeks in Türkiye’s relations with Sweden and Finland as the countries seek NATO memberships that face increasingly more hurdles.
Stockholm has been courting Ankara to secure a green light for its application since last year when it, alongside Finland, threw away its military nonalignment in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war. However, NATO members Türkiye and Hungary, have been withholding their affirmatives, with Ankara making firm demands that its security concerns about the terrorists Sweden is harboring and tolerating be addressed.
Per a tripartite memorandum the sides inked in June last year, Stockholm has vowed to meet the said demands, including extraditing and increasing its crackdown on terrorist groups. For the previous month, however, public support in Sweden for the terrorist groups from their sympathizers has been raising the tensions between the two countries, which Ankara has repeatedly warned would jeopardize Stockholm’s NATO membership process.
Last week, Ankara suspended NATO talks with the two Nordic nations after an incident in Stockholm in which a far-right politician burned a copy of the Quran in front of its embassy, which drew global backlash.
Türkiye was already outraged by a Swedish prosecutor’s decision not to press charges against PKK terrorist sympathizers that hung President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s effigy by its ankles outside Stockholm City Court.
Erdoğan said Sweden “shouldn’t expect any support from Türkiye,” considering the leeway Swedish authorities gave for such public displays, even indicating that his country could approve Finland’s application and leave Sweden “shocked.”
Scrambling to stay in Ankara’s good graces, Helsinki reportedly made “immediate contact” with Erdoğan after his hint, with foreign ministers already convening for “preliminary discussions.”
While they have been intending to join NATO with Sweden, Ankara has been signaling they might not get so lucky.
The terrorist organization has a large presence in Sweden, Çavuşoğlu on Tuesday argued, referring to the PKK and its Syrian affiliate YPG who also find public support in broader Europe.
In a confession-like statement, Sweden’s chief NATO negotiator on Sunday was quoted as saying, “Unlike Finland, we have a larger share of funding for the PKK from Sweden.”
“Financing terrorism, recruiting people and propaganda continues (in the country),” Çavuşoğlu said.
“According to the trilateral memorandum, these countries promised to curb terrorist activities,” he recalled. “We can see that we don’t have a major problem with Finland compared to Sweden. There is a need for political willpower. We can see this willpower in the new Swedish government, yet there are no concrete steps yet,” he said.
Unless commitments are met, Türkiye can’t ratify a nation’s NATO membership, Çavuşoğlu declared.
“This is entirely a security concern and about the fight against terrorism,” he said.
He noted that NATO wants the membership process for Sweden and Finland to go hand in hand; however, “If a decision is reached about the process, Mr. President Erdoğan himself expressed that we would have a more positive outlook on Finland.”
Çavuşoğlu contended that Finland refuses to allow an act like the burning of a holy book and considers it a hate crime “despite the same laws existing in both Finland and Sweden.”
“The mentality of ‘freedom of expression’ will only drag us into chaos,” Çavuşoğlu stressed.
He said if Sweden were to fulfill its commitments in the future, Türkiye would consider its options, “but, as things stand, we can’t say yes.”
“We have established a monitoring mechanism. We continue this independently from these provocations,” he said.
For his part, Szijjarto echoed Çavuşoğlu in expressing Hungarian support for NATO enlargement. “We will assess Sweden and Finland’s NATO memberships at our parliament in February,” he said.
“I haven’t put any pressure on the Turkish side to act faster because that’s not my job. I leave this to Türkiye. I cannot provide the Turkish government lessons,” Szijjarto said.
The Hungarian diplomat also condemned Paludan’s book-burning, saying it was “absolutely unacceptable as a Christian that the holy book of another religion is torched.”
“We’re talking about a country that wants to join NATO,” Szijjarto pointed out. “Perhaps, they should behave a bit better. I say these only as an observer; they must show more respect. I repeat, it’s unacceptable to torch another religion’s book,” he stressed.
The ministers further discussed ways to reinforce their defense cooperation, Çavuşoğlu also revealed, noting it was “fairly normal” for two NATO allies to do so.
“Our contact with Hungary on every level continues increasingly,” he said. “We’re discussing all aspects of our ties. We would be honored to host their president in our country.”
The meetings were productive and genuine, according to Çavuşoğlu. “Our trade volume is rising, there is much potential. We have relayed to Hungary that energy is a priority and we weighed in on ways we could bolster this energy cooperation.”
Türkiye will provide every support to bring Azerbaijani gas to Hungary and some of our friends, Çavuşoğlu noted.
The two ministers also remarked on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the Turkish diplomat revealed. “We’ve been sincerely attempting to end the war as soon as possible. We know the war will end on the negotiation table someday and we will continue our confidence-building moves,” he said.
Pointing out to the Black Sea grain deal, the prisoner exchange, and the dialogue created to ensure a calamity didn’t break out in Zaporizhzhia, Çavuşoğlu said Türkiye’s facilitation of known and unknown many talks has “proven diplomacy works even during the war.”
Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said that Türkiye supports NATO enlargement in principle but told Sweden and Finland from day one that Ankara would not leave provocations unanswered.
Speaking in a live interview on Tuesday, Kalın said some provocative incidents that took place in Sweden did not take place in Finland.
“We’ve told them that there are necessary steps to be taken. Sweden is rewriting its constitution and told us they need time until June,” the top presidential aide said, adding that Türkiye is not blocking their membership.
Kalın also said Türkiye respects Finland and Sweden’s decision to proceed together, but if Finland wants to hold a separate process for NATO membership, then it is their decision.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently said that Ankara might approve Finland’s NATO membership while withholding approval for the membership of Sweden over ongoing tensions.
Sweden has approved a constitutional amendment that enables it to enact tougher anti-terror laws demanded by Ankara. However, Türkiye suspended NATO talks with Sweden and Finland last week after a protest in Stockholm in which a far-right politician burned a copy of the Quran.
Ankara has also been outraged by a Swedish prosecutor’s decision not to press charges against PKK terrorist sympathizers that hung Erdoğan’s effigy by its ankles outside Stockholm City Court.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his country wanted to restore NATO dialogue with Türkiye, but Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said last Thursday it was meaningless to restart discussions.
Çavuşoğlu also said there was “no offer to evaluate Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO membership separately.”
Regarding the F-16 program, Kalın said Ankara is aware of the U.S. Congress’ mention of preconditions regarding the F-16 program.
“We will continue to go our way if the U.S. sets preconditions. Türkiye knows the Biden administration’s intentions but if Congress blocks it then we will reevaluate the situation regarding F-16s,” he added.
On Sunday, Erdoğan said “there would be a price” to pay if the United States fails to supply Türkiye with F-16 fighter jets it has been seeking in return for a payment it made for F-35 warplanes.
NATO member Türkiye has been seeking to modernize its existing warplanes to update its air force and sought to buy 40 Lockheed Martin F-16 jets and nearly 80 modernization kits from the U.S., a deal reportedly valued at $20 billion.
Türkiye made this request instead of a refund for the payment it had made for the next-generation F-35 fighter jets. The payment was issued before it was removed from the multinational program developing the aircraft over Ankara’s decision to acquire Russian-made S-400 air missile defense systems.
Ankara had previously ordered over 100 U.S. F-35 jets, but Washington removed Türkiye from the program in 2019 after it bought the S-400s. Türkiye has called the move unjust and demanded reimbursement for its $1.4 billion payment.
The Biden administration has reportedly conveyed to Congress its intention to sell the fighter jets to Türkiye. The administration has said it supports the sale and has been in touch for months with Congress informally to win its approval. However, it has failed to secure a green light so far
Türkiye has signed a natural gas purchase agreement with Oman that will be valid for the next 10 years, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez announced Monday.
A delegation from the Turkish state energy company BOTAŞ visited Oman for the agreement that will see Türkiye buying an annual 1.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas from Oman, Dönmez told an event in Istanbul.
The agreement with Oman also includes an opportunity to be extended further if needed, Dönmez told the Summit of Century of Türkiye in Energy.
“At a time when the world, especially Europe, is suffering from gas supply problems, Türkiye is taking all steps to become a gas trade center,” he said.
Türkiye is almost entirely dependent on imports to cover its energy needs, which leaves it vulnerable to rising costs that skyrocketed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Domestic demand has increased since the pandemic.
It imports gas mainly from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, as well as liquified natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, the United States, Nigeria and Algeria.
International gas markets were upended after Russia, a significant gas producer, invaded Ukraine in February last year. Many countries, including those in the European Union, responded with sanctions on Russian exports, while Russia has also cut off supplies to Europe via pipelines.
Black Sea gas Meanwhile, Türkiye is set to start pumping the natural gas it discovered in the Black Sea into the national grid by the end of March. It has gradually discovered about 710 bcm of natural gas since August 2020, which is estimated to have a market value of $1 trillion (TL 18.81 trillion).
Dönmez said the current reserve is enough to meet a 30-year demand of Türkiye, a figure he suggested could increase as the country expands its hydrocarbon explorations.
About 10 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas per day is expected to be transferred in the initial phase, while the infrastructure has been set up to enable this figure to peak at 40 mcm through 2026.
“The first phase of Black Sea gas will come into operation towards the end of March, and we will be able to meet one-quarter of our gas needs at full capacity production from here,” Dönmez noted.
“This means that Türkiye’s gas imports will have decreased by one quarter.”
Türkiye’s annual gas consumption rose from 48 bcm in 2020 to a record 60 bcm in 2021. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said she was expected to stand at around 53.5 bcm in 2022.
Earlier estimates had put the figure at up to 63 bcm, but the power generated from renewable resources this year drove the gas consumption downward.
Gas hub target Dönmez also declared that Türkiye’s third floating liquefied natural gas storage and regasification unit (FSRU) is projected to arrive in Türkiye within a week and that the ship has taken its first cargo and started sailing.
The ship will serve at the Saros FSRU terminal, which will also give the country the flexibility to carry out LNG transport, especially during the summer season when the demand to pump gas into the system is low.
“With the Saros FSRU, we will add a new entry point to the Thrace region, where consumption is high. More importantly, we will become a more active player in the regional gas trade, especially in the Balkans, in line with our gas hub target,” Dönmez suggested.
The first step, he said, was taken with Bulgaria in this context, as the agreement includes an annual gas supply of approximately 1.5 bcm to Bulgaria until 2035, corresponding to 30% of the country’s annual gas consumption.
The agreement between Bulgaria’s state gas company Bulgargaz and BOTAŞ, signed earlier this month, will give Bulgaria access to Türkiye’s gas network and LNG terminals to help bring in supplies.
“In addition to Bulgaria, we are carrying out similar processes with North Macedonia, Romania, and Moldova,” Dönmez said.
In October, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin proposed setting up a gas hub in Türkiye following explosions that damaged Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea.
Putin suggested developing transshipment and exchange terminals for Russian gas, potentially making Turkey a significant center for sales of Russian gas to third countries.
Erdoğan backed the idea and the two countries instructed authorities to work on a roadmap, which is expected to be announced soon.
Summit of gas buyers, sellers Dönmez also said Türkiye would hold a natural gas summit on Feb. 14-15 to bring together gas supplier countries and Europe’s consumer countries in Istanbul.
“We will bring together supplier countries from the Middle East, Mediterranean, Caspian and Middle Asia with consumer countries from Europe,” the minister noted.
Türkiye has the infrastructure and experience in gas trade and authorities are taking steps for it to be a hub where regional benchmark prices are set, Dönmez said.
“Our target is to bring together supplier and consumer countries and become the gas-trading center where the benchmark price of gas is set,” he added.
Along with the energy ministers, the summit is expected to host high-level representatives of public institutions and organizations, the private sector, and international energy organizations.
The event will discuss the effects of global developments on the energy sector, changes in supply and demand and pricing, and global supply security issues, Dönmez concluded
The Foreign Ministry condemned the recent armed attack on a synagogue in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday.
The ministry expressed concern about the recent surge of tensions and violence, calling on all sides to take necessary steps to prevent further escalation.
The ministry also called for restraint and extended condolences to the families of the victims and the Israeli government and people, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Seven people were killed and 10 others were injured after a gunman opened fire on a synagogue in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday.
The perpetrator went to a synagogue in the illegal Israeli settlement of Neve Yaakov at around 8:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. GMT) and opened fire, according to police.
The officers had shot at the assailant at the scene and “neutralized” him. Police later confirmed that he had been killed
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