Day: November 28, 2021

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments in Turkey, around the world, and the coronavirus pandemic.

Developments in Turkey, coronavirus pandemic and other news

Turkey has administered more than 120.05 million coronavirus vaccine doses since it launched an immunization drive in January.

Separately, the Health Ministry recorded 23,759 new cases, 192 related deaths, and 25,103 recoveries in the past 24 hours.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew to Turkmenistan at the head of a delegation to attend an Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) meeting and hold official talks.

Asia has emerged not only as a production center but as the largest consumer market, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

World

Japan has strong concerns about human rights violations by China in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region and Hong Kong, the Japanese premier said.

The World Trade Organization postponed an in-person ministerial conference next week after the “outbreak of a particularly transmissible strain of the COVID-19 virus” forced several countries to impose travel restrictions.

After scientists in South Africa detected a new coronavirus variant, the country reported a rise in infections with the positivity rate jumping from the seven-day average of 4.3% to 9.1%, health authorities said.

The UK announced that two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant that was recently detected in South Africa, were detected in the European country.

Germany confirmed its first two cases of the Omicron variant.

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments in Turkey, around the world, and the coronavirus pandemic.

Developments in Turkey, coronavirus pandemic and other news

Turkey has administered more than 120.05 million coronavirus vaccine doses since it launched an immunization drive in January.

Separately, the Health Ministry recorded 23,759 new cases, 192 related deaths, and 25,103 recoveries in the past 24 hours.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew to Turkmenistan at the head of a delegation to attend an Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) meeting and hold official talks.

Asia has emerged not only as a production center but as the largest consumer market, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

World

Japan has strong concerns about human rights violations by China in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region and Hong Kong, the Japanese premier said.

The World Trade Organization postponed an in-person ministerial conference next week after the “outbreak of a particularly transmissible strain of the COVID-19 virus” forced several countries to impose travel restrictions.

After scientists in South Africa detected a new coronavirus variant, the country reported a rise in infections with the positivity rate jumping from the seven-day average of 4.3% to 9.1%, health authorities said.

The UK announced that two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant that was recently detected in South Africa, were detected in the European country.

Germany confirmed its first two cases of the Omicron variant.

The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) said it considered as “forbidden, ”alliances between Arab states and Israel.

Turkey and Turkmenistan are determined to reach their bilateral trade volume target of $5 billion, Erdogan said in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkish defense firm STM will exhibit its military naval platforms and tactical mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems at Expodefensa 2021 fair being held in Colombia next week.

“Under the leadership of our parent institution, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), we will be attending Expodefensa 2021 to share our experience in projects in which we are proud to have participated as a trusted solution partner of various world navies, including Pakistan and Ukraine,” STM said in a statement.

The firm said it will introduce its tactical mini UAV product family, which includes Alpagu, Kargu and Togan, to South America, along with its MiLGEM Ada Class Corvette and the I-Class Frigate – Turkey’s first national frigate project.

The company’s CF3500 Frigate, which it has designed in the form of a MiLGEM boat for the Colombian Navy, will also be on display.

“The systems that continue to be used successfully in the field by Turkish Navy are brought overseas as quality, affordable and modern engineering solutions,” it said.

Expodefensa 2021, one of the most important defense industry fairs in Latin America and the Caribbean, will be held in Colombia’s capital Bogota from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Malikah Shabazz, the daughter of the Black Muslim leader Malcolm X, was laid to rest Saturday in New York.

Shabazz, 56, died Nov. 22 in Brooklyn.

After the funeral prayer at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York in Manhattan, she was buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Westchester County, where her father was laid to rest.

The funeral was attended by Malcolm X’s remaining daughters and a group of Black Muslim Americans in New York as well as Turkey’s Ambassador to the US Hasan Murat Mercan, among others.

The ambassador conveyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s condolences to Malcolm X’s family with a red wreath depicting the Turkish flag.

Malcolm X was a prominent leader of the Black Nationalist Movement. He was assassinated while giving a speech in a New York City ballroom in 1965.

*Servet Gunerigok contributed to the story

Source: Anadolu Agency

Nigeria announced Saturday the lifting of a flight ban on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Emirates Airlines

The decision to remove the ban came after talks between the governments of the two countries, Nigerian Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said in a statement.

He said the ban was unconditional and noted the reversal would be effective Saturday.

Sirika said the UAE lifted all travel restrictions imposed on Nigerian citizens.

Nigeria put into effect the flight ban on Emirates Airlines on grounds that it admitted passengers without a PCR test in March.

The UAE then implemented travel restrictions on passengers entering from Nigeria.

Source: Anadolu Agency

A French military convoy heading to Mali on Saturday faced protests in Niger after days of being blocked by protesters in Burkina Faso, according to sources.

Protests broke out late Friday in the western Niger town of Tera in the Tillaberi region, prompting clashes between the defense and security forces and demonstrators opposed to the passage of the French Barkhane force convoy from Burkina Faso to Gao in Mali, local media reported.

After a turbulent night, clashes continued Saturday, leaving two people killed and a dozen others wounded, including serious cases, in clashes with security forces trying to clear the way, the Actuniger newspaper said, citing local sources.

Demonstrators, mostly youth chanting, “We don’t want you” and “Go home” erected barricades on the main city road, prompting police to fire teargas to disperse the crowd.

There has not been any official communication on the matter.

But French army spokesman Pascal Ianni told AFP that when the convoy wanted to continue to Niger’s capital Niamey, they were stopped by about 1,000 demonstrators.

Noting that a violent group among them tried to take control of trucks, Ianni said two civilian drivers in the convoy were injured by stones and civilian trucks were damaged.

The French media report said three people were killed and 18 wounded, including four who had to be evacuated for treatment in Niamey, 200 kilometers (120 miles) away.

Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum on Friday justified the presence of foreign forces, including French soldiers in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel.

After entering Burkina Faso last week, demonstrators in Kaya, north central Burkina Faso, blocked the convoy.

Demonstrators reportedly suspected members of the French anti-terrorist force of having weapons and motorcycles in their containers that are used to supply terrorists.

But Burkinabe Foreign Minister Alpha Barry allayed suspicions of France supporting terrorists in the country on Wednesday and said that there was nothing irregular about the convoy passing through Burkina Faso.

It arrived in the Ivory Coast last week and departed Burkina Faso on Friday only to confront more protests in Niger.

Similar “anti-French feelings” have previously been demonstrated in Mali and Chad.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Security personnel at the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) Foreign Relations Office on Saturday killed an attacker trying to enter the building in the regional capital Erbil.

A statement from the Erbil Police Department said it happened at 6 p.m. local time.

The statement said the attacker was killed after security staff responded to the assault. The body was taken for forensic analysis after police reached the scene.

No statement has yet been made by the KRG on the attack.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkish taekwondo athlete Merve Dincel won gold Saturday at the Women’s Open world championships in Riyadh.

The Turkish Taekwondo Federation said on Twitter that Dincel beat Alma Perez Parrado from Spain in the women’s 53 kg final to became world champion.

The 2021 World Taekwondo Women’s Open Championships in the Saudi capital ended Nov. 27.

*Writing by Can Erozden in Ankara

Source: Anadolu Agency

An expanding American military presence in Greece was protested Saturday in the northern port city of Alexandroupolis, according to media reports.

The demonstration organized by the Committee of Struggle Against the Greek-American Military Treaty and the Base in Alexandroupolis also had the participation of various trade unions, pensioners’ unions, student unions as well as the local branch of the International Detente and Peace Committee (EEDYE), said news outlet 902.gr.

It is noteworthy that protesters also burned the US, EU and NATO flags, it added.

Earlier, another protest against the US- Greece military treaty and the expanding American military presence in the country was held in the port city’s municipal theatre.

Elpida Pantelaki, general secretary of EEDYE, condemned the utilization of the port by the US military.

No one can remain merely a spectator to the fact that the city and the county’s Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region is being transformed into an imperialist base, she said.

A retired admiral of the Greek Navy, Georgoios Roidis, and representatives of different trade unions also addressed the crowd, the news outlet noted.

Source: Anadolu Agency