Turkey

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Sani Ahmad Zangina, has vehemently denied reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu fell during his visit to Turkey.

Dr. Zangina clarified that the incident in Turkey was not a fall, but rather a deliberate crouch or stoop by the President to greet people in the traditional Turkish manner, which some have misinterpreted and twisted into false news.

He stated that President Tinubu is in excellent health and has no medical issues, emphasizing that the President continues to carry out his duties without any impediment.

“It is regrettable how some media outlets are deliberately spreading falsehood. We are putting them on notice that any newspaper that republishes the claim that President Tinubu fell, when he merely stooped to greet, will face immediate legal action,” said Dr. Zangina.

The APC chieftain added that such reports are capable of causing public alarm and confusion, calling on journalists to adhere to the ethics of truthful and responsible reporting.

He also urged Nigerians to disregard rumors and to always rely on credible sources before making judgments on any matter concerning the President.

Finally, Dr. Sani Ahmad Zangina stressed that the APC will not tolerate the spread of falsehoods about the President, assuring that the law will take its course against anyone found culpable.

By Anwar Usman

Nigeria has signed fresh security deal with Türkiye to help in its fight against insecurity.

The Daily Reality reports that nine fresh agreements were signed between Türkiye and Nigeria on Tuesday in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The agreements were signed following deliberations between the two countries and delegation-level meetings at the Presidential Palace in Türkiye’s capital, Ankara.

The two countries signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding MoU covering cooperation in diaspora policy, media and communication, higher education, halal accreditation, military cooperation, and cooperation with diplomatic academies. Both sides also adopted a joint declaration establishing the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

While pledging support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism President Erdogan said Ankara reviewed options for closer cooperation in military training and intelligence during talks with President Tinubu.

President Bola Tinubu is on an official visit to Türkiye from January 26 to 28, during which the two countries are expected to sign cooperation deals and hold meetings with business and defence industry leaders to deepen bilateral ties.

“We are ready to share Türkiye’s significant experience in counterterrorism,” Erdogan said, noting that terrorist groups, particularly in Africa’s Sahel region, pose a threat to the continent’s stability.

While addressing a joint press conference on Tuesday, following the talks in Ankara, Erdogan said deliberations also covered trade, energy, investment, education and the defence industry, reiterating both countries’ commitment to achieving a $5 billion bilateral trade volume.

The two sides signed a defence agreement called “Protocol on Military Cooperation”. Türkiye has become a primary alternative to Western and Eastern arms suppliers for Nigeria with the two countries signing a Defence Industry Cooperation (Oct 2021) which provided the legal framework for Nigeria to purchase Turkish military hardware, including Bayraktar TB2 drones, T129 ATAK helicopters, and Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).

The latest part of the deal was Military Training & Intelligence Agreement (2026) – officially categorised as a Military Cooperation Protocol- allows for Turkish experts to train Nigerian Special Forces and share satellite intelligence for counter-terrorism operations against groups like Boko Haram.

It was gathered that the protocol focuses on three primary areas designed to address Nigeria’s internal security challenges. The Intelligence Sharing (Real-Time) aspect focuses on establishing a direct “intelligence bridge” between the Nigerian National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT). This focuses on tracking the movement of illicit arms and monitoring the digital activities of insurgent groups in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.

Turkish authorities have arrested four staff members of a well-known satirical magazine following the publication of a cartoon that many believe portrays the Prophet Muhammad — a depiction strictly forbidden in Islam.

The country’s Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, described the cartoon released by LeMan magazine as “shameless,” confirming that the magazine’s editor-in-chief, cartoonist, graphic designer, and institutional director had been taken into custody.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Yerlikaya also released footage of their arrests and condemned the illustration as a “vile drawing.”

Responding to the outrage, LeMan firmly denied that the image was a caricature of the Prophet.

“The work does not refer to the Prophet Muhammed in any way,” the magazine wrote on X. It later issued an apology “to well-intentioned readers who feel hurt,” while maintaining that the cartoon was misinterpreted.

“The cartoonist wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel, and he never intended to insult religious values,” the statement read.

The magazine added, “We do not accept the stain that is cast on us because there is no depiction of our Prophet. You have to be very malicious to interpret the cartoon in this way.”

Despite the denial, hundreds of people gathered outside the magazine’s Istanbul office on Monday in protest. Demonstrators were heard chanting “tooth for tooth, blood for blood, revenge, revenge.”

Riot police intervened as the protest escalated, and a journalist from Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported the use of rubber bullets and tear gas by security forces to disperse the crowd.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc revealed that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had opened an inquiry into the matter, accusing the magazine of “publicly insulting religious values.”

He stated, “The caricature or any form of visual representation of our Prophet not only harms our religious values but also damages societal peace.”

He added that legal action against the staff of LeMan would proceed “without delay.”

Authorities have also issued arrest warrants for other senior figures at the magazine.Images of the cartoon, now widely circulated on social media, depict two winged characters floating over a war-torn city.

One character is quoted as saying, “Peace be upon you, I’m Muhammed,” to which the other replies, “Peace be upon you, I’m Musa.”In a comment to AFP, LeMan’s editor-in-chief Tuncay Akgun, who is currently in Paris, argued that the drawing had been misunderstood.

He stressed that LeMan would “never take such a risk.” He also compared the backlash to the 2015 attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo over its caricatures of the Prophet, describing the response to LeMan as “very intentional and very worrying.”

The Charlie Hebdo incident led to the deaths of 12 people and marked one of the darkest moments in recent French history.

By Hassan Muhammad

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has been crowned Galatasaray’s Best Player of the Year after a sensational debut season in Turkey.

On loan from Napoli, Osimhen scored 35 goals in 39 matches, helping Galatasaray secure both the Süper Lig title and the Turkish Cup. His standout performances included a brace in the cup final and a decisive goal in the league’s final matchday.

Club legend Tanju Çolak praised the forward as “the best player of the season,” while Osimhen himself expressed gratitude for the honor, calling Galatasaray “an amazing club.”

His future remains uncertain, but fans are hopeful he will extend his stay in Istanbul.

 By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that his country may take military action against Israel if the conflict in the Gaza Strip is not resolved quickly.

Speaking at a campaign rally on Sunday, Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s support for the Palestinian cause and hinted at potential intervention. 

Erdogan stated, “We must be strong so that Israel cannot strike Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh and Libya, maybe we’ll do the same thing. There’s nothing we can’t do. We have to be strong.” 

The Turkish president’s comments come as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate.

Israel has blamed Hezbollah for a recent rocket attack that killed at least 12 people, an accusation Hezbollah denied. 

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Erdogan’s threats, warning that any attempt to intervene in the conflict could lead to a fate similar to that of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Katz wrote on his social media handle, “Erdogan follows in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel. Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended.”