Category: General

Three sailors, including two Turkish and one Georgian citizen, died of poisoning on a cargo ship 50 miles off the Port of Cartagena in southeastern Spain.

According to the initial information provided by the Turkish Embassy in Madrid and the Cartagena Port Authority officials, an accident took place late on Wednesday on the Liberian-flagged cargo ship carrying sunflower oil and operated by a Turkish company.

Three sailors died of poisoning after a gas leakage occurred during the technical work in one of the ship’s tanks.

The Turkish captain of the ship was also reported among those who lost their lives.

Authorities announced that another sailor injured in the accident was taken to a hospital by helicopter and is currently in serious condition.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

The bodies of two Turkish sailors are expected to be sent to Turkey after bureaucratic procedures are completed in Spain.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Inter Milan announced Thursday the signing of Argentine striker Joaquin Correa on loan from Lazio.

“The 27-year-old has joined the club from Lazio on an initial loan with an obligation to make the transfer permanent,” the Italian club said in a statement.

Inter Milan said Correa inked a contract with the Nerazzurri that will run until June 30, 2025.

Correa previously played for Italy’s Sampdoria and Spain’s Sevilla. He scored 30 goals and had 18 assists in 117 matches with Lazio.

The Argentine forward helped this nation clinch the 2021 Copa America trophy.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Colombian Embassy in Ankara will commemorate the Battle of Boyaca by hosting a virtual concert on Thursday.

On Aug. 7, 1819, Colombia won its independence from Spain in the Battle of Boyaca.

The commemoration, originally scheduled for Aug. 7 by the Colombian Embassy, was “postponed in solidarity with the Turkish people,” the embassy said, referring to Turkey’s fight against then-ongoing forest fires and floods.

The Colombian music band Tribu Baharu’s virtual performance will take place at 5 p.m. local time (1400GMT).

Tribu Baharu is a band of Champeta Criolla — a music genre and dance that originated in the early 1980s in the country.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Mrisho Mpoto, 43, a prolific Swahili language poet and a gifted speaker is captivating Tanzania these days by using his mastery over words to convey strong political and social messages, ranging from creating awareness about COVID-19 vaccination and HIV/AIDS to family planning and governance issues.

Dressed in a free-flow pyjama and nicknamed Mjomba (uncle in the Swahili language), he has become a trademark of the country’s performing arts industry.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mjomba said he is using poetry as a weapon to fight evil in society.

“I’m happy to teach young people to know art so that they can use it to make a positive change,” he said.

Born in 1978 in Tanzania’s southern highlands, Mpoto had a narrow escape as an infant because his mother had left him to die in the forest. But then she changed her mind.

“I think God had his plans, that is why I am alive today,” he said.

He said that he uses poetry to express himself about many things that affect society.

At the official launch of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s largest port-city— he stormed the stage and in charged rhymes mobilized people to take the vaccine and protect themselves against the deadly virus.

“You patriot, come get your shot, it is the best thing to protect your life,” he said to the cheering crowd.

Mpoto likes to walk without shoes as he believes that nature comes closer to him when his feet are in direct contact with the earth.

Laced with political messages, his verses often address political issues and take potshots at politicians and rulers. In one of his poems, he lashed out at the privatization of public agencies and highlighted the plunder of Africa’s national resources.

His attacks on neo-colonialism, fake democracy, and making fun of claims of progress by politicians leave his audience in splits.

“I am not just a poet. I am a theatre artist and song and dance are part of my work. My poetry addresses pertinent issues. I am the voice of the voiceless,” he said.

Despite his popularity and ability to tell the story, his critics say Mpoto lacks artistic vision.

“He doesn’t always acknowledge sources of verses he recites,” said Mgunga Mnyenyelwa, Mpoto’s former mentor and guardian.

Despite criticism, Mpoto’s supporters treat him as a gifted artist.

“His work is touching to the heart,” said Habiba Ali, who works as a hairdresser.

A remarkable feature of his music is he does not use any foreign words and is solely based on Swahili.

“I want the world to know we are rich in languages and there is no need to borrow words from outside,” he said.

Mpoto has formed his own music band to promote his style and attend to the requirements and demands of his audience.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s foreign minister on Thursday discussed the latest situation in Afghanistan with his Finnish and British counterparts, according to diplomatic sources.

In separate phone calls, Mevlut Cavusoglu exchanged views with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on the evolving situation in Afghanistan after the capital Kabul fell to the Taliban.

The Turkish minister also spoke to Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and congratulated him for his appointment to the post.

The Taliban swept to power on Aug. 15 following rapid advances through Afghanistan.

With the collapse of the government in Kabul, attention has turned to ensure the safety of civilians and evacuees, and an orderly transfer of power.

While the US says it will continue to carry out evacuations until Aug. 31, many countries are wrapping up efforts to evacuate people at Kabul airport following a terror threat.

The Taliban have declared the war in Afghanistan over, saying efforts to form an “inclusive” government are underway.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey offered its condolences Wednesday to Venezuela over floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in the western state of Merida which claimed at least 20 lives.

Noting that the news was received “with deep sorrow,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said: “We extend our condolences to the friendly people and Government of Venezuela and to the families of those who lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

State governor Ramon Guevara on Twitter urged the public not to “politicize” the tragedy at such a “critical moment,” adding the lives and well-being of the people of Merida come before any political matters.

He earlier said that over 1,200 homes had been destroyed and 17 people remained missing, adding search and rescue efforts are continuing.

Severe flooding occurred in mountain villages and streets, while towns such as Tovar, Bailadores, Zea and Santa Cruz de Mora were among the main affected areas.

Most of the fatalities were reported in Tovar, where intense rains caused the Mocoties river to overflow after hours of rainfall.

A video posted on Twitter on Aug. 24 by lawmaker Olivia Lozano showed several vehicles being washed away by the surging flood.

Landslides and floods mainly caused by heavy rains are common in the Andean region in western and southwestern Venezuela.

Source: Anadolu Agency

There are no reports of casualties of Turkish troops from two explosions outside of the airport serving the Afghan capital Kabul, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Thursday.

“There were two explosions outside of Kabul Airport. There is no damage or casualties in our units,” the ministry said on Twitter.

The announcement came following reports that sounds of blasts were heard in the Kabul airport area.

No causalities of any of the many nationalities at the airport have been confirmed yet.

Turkish troops are at the airport working to evacuate Turkish nationals, personnel, and soldiers from the country.

Source: Anadolu Agency

At a time of sweeping changes in the global order, the stability and trust seen in Turkey make it well placed to rise to the top, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“We will have reached the top when we make use of this period, where we see the global political and economic order is being reshaped, by preserving the (country’s) climate of stability and trust,” Erdogan said at commemorations of the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert – a victory that opened the doors of Anatolia to the Turkish people.

Turkey, the successor of a series of civilizations embracing elements of both East and West, has again been on the rise in recent decades, said Erdogan, speaking in Mus, eastern Turkey, where the battle took place.

He added that inspired by its “glorious past,” Turkey has its eyes fixed on the future and is determined to realize its goals in the coming decades, or even a century, through the help of coming generations.

The president went on to say that the Turkish nation has left its trace in various regions with buildings, including monuments, memorials and mosques, and today’s government in Ankara did not leave them to their fate.

He further noted that Turkey’s power, prestige and influence had been gradually increasing both in the region and across the globe, thanks to the seeds of love and sympathy sown in a wide region by its ancestors.

“We face the effects of terrorism and stability in our region at one hand, and natural disasters along with global turbulence on the other,” the president said, but added there were also various opportunities and possibilities awaiting Turkey.




Battle of Malazgirt

Turkish control of Anatolia – the vast territory of modern Turkey – began with the Battle of Malazgirt, also known as Battle of Manzikert, on Aug. 26, 1071, which saw the Seljuk Turks led by Sultan Alparslan defeat a much larger Byzantine army.

The victory accelerated the decline of the Byzantine Empire, and led to more Turks settling in the region, paving the way for both the Ottoman Empire and the modern Republic of Turkey.

Centuries later, in 1919, foreign occupation prompted Turkey’s War of Independence in which Turkish forces – led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk –drove the invaders from Anatolia.

By the end of 1922, all foreign forces had left the territories, which became a part of the Republic of Turkey a year later.

Source: Anadolu Agency

August is hailed as “the month of victory” in Turkey, as Turkish and Ottoman armies over the centuries won numerous wars in the month, changing the course of history.

For instance, “the great conquer of Belgrade” on Aug. 28-29, 1521 by Ottoman armies that led personally by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent opened the gates of Central Europe to Ottoman Empire, whose European territories by then was limited to the Balkan Peninsula.

The Ottoman victory in Belgrade paved the way to another August victory five year later, again under the command of Suleyman, on Aug. 29, 1526. An Ottoman army decisively won the Battle of Mohacs against the Hungarian Kingdom. The victory that marked the end of Medieval Ages in Hungary also made the Ottoman Empire an influential European power.

Victories in the Battle of Otlukbeli on Aug. 11, 1473; Battle of Chaldiran against Safavid Empire on Aug. 23, 1514; and Battle of Marj Dabiq against Mamluk Sultanate on Aug. 24, 1516 secured the Ottoman dominance in eastern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia, Levant and Palestine.

Ilber Ortayli, a well-known Turkish historian of Ottoman studies, underlines that Ottomans’ August victories are barely a coincidence. He maintains that armies in the Ottoman classical age generally started their march for annual military expedition in April when the weather conditions got milder after the winter and reached the Central Europe during August.

Among all these victories, two of them particularly stand out. The first is the Battle of Manzikert which was fought between Byzantine army, led by Emperor Romanos IV, and Seljuk Turk army, led by Sultan Alp Arslan, also known by his real name Muhammed bin Davud Cagri, on Aug. 26, 1071. The battle saw Selcuk Turks defeat a Byzantine army and open up Anatolia for Turkish domination.

By the early 12th century, Turkish tribes spread to all parts of the Anatolia, in both south-north and east-west axis. Even, crusades, between 1095 and 1291, and Mongol invasions in the 13th century could not displace Turks from their new homeland, Anatolia.

It is noteworthy that though various Turkic tribes – including Pechenegs and Kumans – moved to Anatolia before 1071, it was the first time after this victory, Turks established independent states, which allowed them to preserve their ethnic and religious identities and consequently dominate many parts of Eurasian continent.

The second one is the Battle of Dumlupinar, also known as the Field Battle of the Commander-in-Chief, which was fought between Turkish forces, led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, and invading Greek forces, led by Georgios Hatzianestis on Aug. 26, 1922 in western Turkey.

Lutfi Mufit Ozdes, one of the close confidants of Ataturk, said that Aug. 26 was knowingly chosen by the commander-in-chief of the Turkish forces, who was inspired by Sultan Alp Arslan and wanted to gift the Turkish history a new Victory of Manzikert.

Turkish army, inferior to Greek army in terms of number of troops and arms, struck the enemy swiftly and decisively by Aug. 30 along the frontline. Only two weeks after the first guns were fired by Turkish artillery, the fifth Turkish Cavalry Corps commanded by Fahrettin Altay reach Izmir liberating all Turkish town, cities under Greek occupation.

The Turkish victory marked the end of the three-year-long Greek occupation in Western Anatolia.

The victory also made possible the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. The Turkish victory over Western imperialism inspired many nations, living under imperialist yoke, to dream and eventually fight for their self-determination.

Source: Anadolu Agency