United News of Bangladesh

The number of suspects detained in connection with the deadly hotel fire at a ski resort rose to 14 on Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday. Erdogan also reiterated his commitment to ensuring that anyone who may have caused the blaze by prioritizing profit over safety is brought to justice. The fire, which tore through the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel, in Kartalkaya, in northwestern Bolu province early Tuesday, trapped many of the registered 238 guests inside, leaving 78 people dead and dozens of others injured. It struck at the start of a two-week winter break for schools, and 36 of the victims were children, local media reports said. The tragedy, which saw guests and staff jump out of windows to escape smoke and flame-filled rooms or dangle sheets out of windows to lower themselves out, sent shockwaves across Turkey and sparked widespread calls for accountability into negligence and safety violations. At least 66 dead, 51 injured in Turkey hotel fire “Those who caused our nation this great pain due to mistakes, negligence, irregularities and greed will definitely be held accountable to the courts,” Erdogan said in an address to his governing party’s local congress in the southern city of Malatya. A total of 14 people have been taken into custody as part of the investigation into the fire, including the hotel’s owner, staff members and three people from the Bolu mayor’s office, Erdogan said. His government has traded accusations of blame with the Bolu municipality, which is controlled by Turkey’s main opposition party. Eight of the suspects were scheduled to appear before prosecutors to face possible charges, HaberTurk television said. They include the hotel’s owner and managers, the acting Bolu fire chief, a retired architect and kitchen staff, the station reported. The blaze appeared to have started at the restaurant section on the fourth floor of the wooden-clad hotel and spread quickly to the upper floors, reports said. Witness accounts have pointed to a lack of proper safety systems at the establishment, including fire alarms, sprinklers and adequate emergency exits. Turkey continued to hold funerals for the victims on Friday, including for 6-year-old Dila Inal and her 8-year-old sister, Ela, who were buried in Istanbul along with their 44-year-old mother, Defne Arkadas Inal. Their Georgian nanny, Laura Kurtanidze, who also perished in the fire, would be buried in a ceremony in Georgia.

At least 76 people died, and 51 others were injured when a fire broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, a popular ski destination in Turkey’s Bolu province, reports AP. The fire started in the restaurant area on the fourth floor and quickly spread upwards. The blaze occurred just before schools were set to begin their winter break, a time when local hotels are fully booked. At least 66 dead, 51 injured in Turkey hotel fire Esra Karakisa and Halime Cetin, friends who were at a nearby hotel, were left in shock as they witnessed people trapped in smoke-filled rooms, crying for help, and some deciding to jump from windows to escape the flames. Cetin, who works at a hotel next door, recalled, "There was no one there to help. They were screaming for firefighters, breaking windows. Some couldn’t stand the smoke or fire and leapt out." Karakisa added, "It was terrifying. We were horrified, especially by the children's screams. We wanted to help, but there was nothing we could do. It was too frightening to watch." Six prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the cause of the fire. The hotel, a wooden structure, had been inspected in 2021 and 2024, and no fire safety concerns were noted. Nine people have been detained for questioning, including the hotel owner. Explosion at in Northwest Turkey leaves 12 dead Flags were lowered to half-staff as Turkey observed a national day of mourning for the victims. As of late Tuesday, only 45 of the 76 bodies had been identified. One of the injured remains in critical condition, and 29 others were treated and discharged. The hotel had 238 registered guests, and the fire was reported at 3:27 a.m., with firefighters arriving at 4:15 a.m. Authorities noted that the hotel’s location on the side of a cliff complicated rescue efforts. Karakisa later helped by providing clothes and water to the survivors, while others tried to assist by setting up mattresses or leaning ladders against the wall for those inside to escape. Syrians line up at Turkish border crossing, awaiting return home Among the rescuers was Baris Salgur, a cleaner at a nearby hotel. He recalled, "People were crying for help, saying, 'We’re burning!' We tried to calm them down, but there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t reach them." Salgur described the heart-wrenching moment when two women jumped from the top floor after the flames reached their room. He also witnessed a man with a baby on the top floor, desperately asking for a mattress to cushion his fall. Sadly, the baby died from smoke inhalation before the fire department arrived to rescue them.

A fire at a hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday killed at least 66 people, Turkey's Interior Minister said. Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster. “We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in serious condition. The fire broke out at around 3:30am in the restaurant of the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, officials and reports said. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Two of the victims died after jumping from the building in a panic, Gov. Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency. Private NTV television said some people tried to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets. Landslides, flash floods in Indonesia kill 17, missing 8 There were 234 guests staying at the hotel, Aydin said. Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire erupted and he rushed out of the building. He told NTV television that he then helped some 20 guests out of the hotel. He said the hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to locate the fire escape. “I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,” the ski instructor told the station. Television images showed the roof and top floors of the hotel on fire. Witnesses and reports said the hotel’s fire detection system failed to operate. “My wife smelled the burning. The alarm did not go off,” Atakan Yelkovan, a guest staying on the third floor of the hotel, told the IHA news agency. “We tried to go upstairs but couldn’t, there were flames. We went downstairs and came here (outside),” he said. Yelkovan said it took about an hour for the firefighting teams to arrive. Fire crews in Southern California quickly extinguish brush fires amid extreme fire weather “People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... some tried to jump,” he said. The government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the fire. NTV television suggested that the wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel, in a chalet-style design, may have accelerated the spread of the fire. The 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff, hampering efforts to combat the flames, the station also reported. NTV showed a smoke-blackened lobby, its glass entrance and windows smashed, its wooden reception desk charred and a chandelier crashed to the ground. Kartalkaya is a popular ski resort in the Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Istanbul. The fire occurred during the school semester break when hotels in the region are packed. Aydin's office said 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were sent to the site. Other hotels at the resort were evacuated as a precaution and guests were placed in hotels around Bolu. Meanwhile, a gas explosion at a hotel at another ski resort in central Turkey injured four people. The explosion took place at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Center in Sivas province. Two skiers and their instructor were slightly injured while another instructor received second-degree burns on the hands and face, the Sivas governor’s office said.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday urged Türkiye to bring their technologies to Bangladesh, invest more, relocate factories and use Bangladesh’s youth forces. “You are the leader of the technology; you can build your defence industry here. Let’s make a beginning…we are available for anything that you need,” he said when a delegation led by Türkiye Trade Minister Prof Dr Ömer Bolat called on him at the state guest house Jamuna. We back interim govt, reform agenda: EIB VP tells Dr Yunus Mentioning Bangladesh as the 8th most populous country in the world, Dr Yunus said that the interim government was working to create work opportunities for the country’s youths and sought Turkey's help in this regard. “We have to give our young people an opportunity, so we want your help; this is my appeal to your country. Use our young people to run your factories here so that you can supply your products in the region,” he said. The Chief Adviser said Bangladesh and Turkey have the potential to build a dream relationship through mutual cooperation in various fields. Jamaat Ameer discusses reforms, national unity with Chief Adviser Yunus “The relationship between Bangladesh and Turkey is very warm; we want to build it in all sectors.”  There are so many things to be done, some we want your support, your technology, and your investments," Dr Yunus said. Turkey Trade Minister Prof Dr Ömer Bolat said that Bangladesh and Turkey can diversify their cooperation beyond the textile industry, which was their primary import from Bangladesh. He said that there can be economic cooperation in the field of defence industry, health care, pharmaceuticals, and farm machinery. “We can replace India and other markets in Bangladesh’s imports. There can be cooperation in economic and social fields at all levels.” He also said that Bangladesh and Turkish universities can have reciprocal cooperation. Bangladesh's exports to Turkey stood at around 581 million USD in 2023-24, while imports were around 424 million USD. Now nearly 20 large Turkish companies are operating in Bangladesh in garments and textiles, accessories, chemicals, engineering, construction, and energy sectors. Among the Turkish companies operating in Bangladesh, notable ones include the Turkish LPG company AYGAZ, Coca-Cola Içecek, and the refrigerator and AC manufacturer ARCILIK (which has acquired Singer Bangladesh Ltd.). During the meeting, the Chief Adviser recalled his telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in August, following which an eight-member Turkish delegation visited Bangladesh in October. Create a team for economic diplomacy; promote Bangladesh abroad: Dr Yunus asks BEPZA Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Adviser Mahfuz Alam, Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, SDG Affairs Secretary Lamiya Morshed, and BIDA Chairman Ashik Mahmud Chowdhory were, among others, present on the occasion.

A delegation of the visiting Turkey's International Jurists Union had a meeting with BNP leaders on Friday and discussed a wide range of issues, including the judicial system of Bangladesh and the prosecution of individuals involved in repressive acts who have fled the country in the face of a mass uprising. The 16-member delegation of the International Jurists Union went to the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office around 3pm and held the meeting with a BNP team led by party standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. Fakhrul asks adviser Nahid to withdraw his comment on political parties Talking to reporters after the meeting, Khosru said the discussion focused on several critical issues, including Bangladesh's judicial system, the return of individuals who fled the country in the wake of a mass uprising, and how to hold accountable those involved in extrajudicial killings. “We discussed Bangladesh's judicial system during this transitional period, following the ouster of the autocrats. We also talked about how to bring those who fled the country to trial, drawing on Turkey's experience and practices in this regard,” he said. The BNP said the discussions also covered how to prosecute politicians and those who abetted the autocratic government in perpetrating mass killings during the uprising, forcibly making people disappear, carrying out extrajudicial killings, and committing other repressive acts. He also talked about the legal procedures required to bring back the autocratic ruler and her cohorts, who had fled the country. "Our discussions with them will continue as we work towards reforming our judiciary. It's impossible to maintain order if the judicial system is not functioning properly.” BNP criticises Adviser Nahid over remarks on political parties Khosru also said out of 12,000 judges and prosecutors in Turkey, 4,000 were removed for their alleged links to a failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said many politicians and government officials fled Turkey following their failed attempt to oust Erdogan. “We discussed how we can draw from their experience in this regard.” Apart from Khosru, BNP Chairperson's Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee Member Tasvir Ul Islam, along with party leaders Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim and Shama Obed, were also present at the meeting.

Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Ramis Sen on Sunday said his country will work with Bangladesh at the international level to resolve the Rohingya crisis. He made the pledge during a meeting with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.  The Turkish envoy met Fakhrul and discussed bilateral issues and the upcoming national election in Bangladesh. The meeting, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, began around 4pm at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office. Dhaka voices “deep concern” over recent influx of 40,000 Rohingyas BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and BNP Organising Secretary Shama Obed were also present at the meeting. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Khosru said they covered a range of issues, including the Rohingya crisis. He recalled that Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu were the first foreign dignitaries to visit the Rohingya camps in 2017, shortly after Myanmar's persecuted citizens sought refuge in Cox’s Bazar. Foreign aid for Rohingya programmes drops: Roundtable “Turkey has shown strong commitment to the Rohingya people and resolving the crisis. They have continued their cooperation through providing healthcare and donations for the Rohingyas," the BNP leader said. Khosru said the Turkish envoy informed them that his country will work with Bangladesh at the international level, particularly through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to resolve the Rohingya crisis in the future. "I hope we’ll be able to do that.” During the meeting, the BNP leader mentioned that the discussion also touched on Bangladesh's upcoming general election. "Every foreign friend has the same question: when will the election be held? We told them what we usually say," he said. He said the international stakeholders are waiting to decide on their future engagement with Bangladesh, depending on the restoration of a democratic order through an elected government. "Turkey has an interest in this, and they also wanted to know when the election will be held.” Khosru shared that Turkey is considering setting up a cultural centre in Dhaka in the near future. He said they also discussed how to enhance trade relations between the two countries by improving people-to-people and business-to-business connections. Besides, the BNP leader mentioned that Turkey plans to offer discounted treatment packages for Bangladeshis who wish to seek medical care there. "Many Bangladeshis are already going to Turkey for treatment, and Turkey wants to encourage this further. The standard of medical treatment in Turkey is comparable to that of Western countries," Khosru said. He also said the Turkish envoy expressed a willingness to assist Bangladesh in building capacity across various sectors and supporting institutional reforms, including within the Election Commission.  

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey on Wednesday, causing widespread panic among residents, though there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or damage. The earthquake occurred at 10:46 a.m. (07:46 GMT) near the town of Kale in Malatya province, as reported by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). It was felt in surrounding cities including Diyarbakir, Elazig, Erzincan, and Tunceli. Read: Unusual earthquake raises alarms: Is Iran testing its first nuclear bomb? Malatya Mayor Sami Er stated that there had been no reports of significant issues so far, but officials were assessing potential damage in more remote areas. Many people fled their homes and offices in fear and waited outside in streets and parks, hesitant to return indoors. As a precaution, schools in Elazig were ordered to close. Malatya was previously impacted by a devastating earthquake last year that resulted in over 53,000 fatalities in Turkey, along with significant destruction in parts of Turkey and northern Syria.

In recent years, several earthquakes have devastated different parts of the globe. Earthquakes are caused by sudden movement along tectonic plates within the surface of earth. These movements release energy in the form of seismic waves that cause the earth's surface to shake. These geological events disrupt lives and economies, standing as stark reminders of the need for earthquake preparedness. Let's take a look at the top earthquake-prone countries across the world and understand their vulnerabilities. The World's 10 Most Earthquake-prone Countries Japan Japan occupies a precarious position in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc characterized by fault lines and volcanic activity in the Pacific Ocean basin. This is the convergence of four tectonic plates: the Pacific, Philippine, Okhotsk, and Eurasian. The primary reason behind Japan's seismic vulnerability is the collision and subduction of these tectonic slabs. The Pacific Plate is subducting beneath the North American Plate, creating deep ocean trenches and mountain ranges. Read more Earthquake Safety Tips for Parents to Keep Children Safe The 2011 Tohoku earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.1, triggered a devastating tsunami, claiming around 19,759 lives. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, measuring magnitude 7, caused about 273 fatalities.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his stance for working with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Turkey to a new height. The re-elected president of Turkey said this during a telephone call to PM Hasina at around 11:15 pm on Wednesday (May 31, 2023). The two leaders exchanged greetings and spoke to each other for 10 minutes, according to a press release from PMO Press Wing. Hasina congratulated Erdogan on securing victory at the second round election, where the voter turnout rate was above 86 percent. Read more: What 5 more years of Erdogan's rule means for Turkey She expressed her happiness over her confidence that the people of Turkey would make the right choice, which was proved after the runoff election. PM Hasina reiterated that the People of Bangladesh would remain steadfast to stand by the brotherly people of Turkey at any time of need, as during the February 2023 earthquake. President Erdogan expressed his gratitude that the brotherly people of Bangladesh mentally joined the jubilant people of Turkey at his victory in the second round election. To this end, he thanked the people of Bangladesh and wished to further strengthen the ties between the two peoples. Read more: Turkey's Erdogan retains power, now faces challenges over the economy and earthquake recovery Hasina conveyed her best wishes to Erdogan and his family members and wished continued peace, progress, and prosperity through him to the people of Turkey.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the "time is now" for Turkey to drop its objections to Sweden joining NATO but said the Biden administration also believed that Turkey should be provided with upgraded F-16 fighters "as soon as possible." Blinken maintained that the administration had not linked the two issues but acknowledged that some U.S. lawmakers had. President Joe Biden implicitly linked the two issues in a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. "I spoke to Erdogan and he still wants to work on something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted a deal with Sweden. So let's get that done," Biden said. Also Read: Finland could join NATO ahead of Sweden: Defense minister Still, Blinken insisted the two issues were distinct. However, he stressed that the completion of both would dramatically strengthen European security. "Both of these are vital, in our judgement, to European security," Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference in the northern Swedish city of Lulea with Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. "We believe that both should go forward as quickly as possible; that is to say Sweden's accession and moving forward on the F-16 package more broadly." "We believe the time is now," Blinken said. He declined to predict when Turkey and Hungary, the only other NATO member not yet to have ratified Sweden's membership, would grant their approval. But, he said, "we have no doubt that it can be, it should be, and we expect it to be" completed by the time alliance leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania in July at an annual summit. Also Read: Erdogan might approve Finland’s NATO bid, ‘shock’ Sweden Fresh from a strong re-election victory over the weekend, Erdogan may be willing to ease his objections to Sweden's membership. Erdogan accuses Sweden of being too soft on groups Ankara considers to be terrorists, and a series of Quran-burning protests in Stockholm angered his religious support base — making his tough stance even more popular. Kristersson said the two sides had been in contact since Sunday's vote and voiced no hesitancy in speaking about the benefits Sweden would bring to NATO "when we join the alliance." Blinken is in Sweden attending a meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council and will travel to Oslo, Norway on Wednesday for a gathering of NATO foreign ministers, before going on to newly admitted alliance member Finland on Friday. Also Read: Erdogan says no support for Sweden's NATO bid Speaking in Oslo ahead of the foreign ministers' meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the goal was to have Sweden inside the grouping before the leaders' summit in July. "There are no guarantees, but it's absolutely possible to reach a solution and enable the decision on full membership for Sweden by the Vilnius summit," Stoltenberg said.