Turkiye’s Erdogan to fly to Iran’s Mashhad for Raisi burial

Turkiye’s Erdogan to fly to Iran’s Mashhad for Raisi burial
Turkiye’s Erdogan to fly to Iran’s Mashhad for Raisi burial. / bne IntelliNews
By bne Tehran bureau May 22, 2024

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Iran on May 22 to attend the funeral of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, who was recently killed in a helicopter crash.

Erdogan’s visit comes amid a flurry of visits from regional leaders and diplomats on May 22, where Raisi’s body laid in state along with former Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and a senior military commander who was on board.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan were among the attendees at an official commemoration ceremony in the north of Tehran.

The funeral ceremonies will take place in Birjand before moving to the holy city of Mashhad for Raisi’s burial in the shrine of Imam Reza.

The event is expected to draw millions, including high-profile international attendees, reflecting Raisi’s significant impact on regional politics and sudden death.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 20 expressed his condolences to the people of Iran over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, stressing that Ankara will stand by Iran “in these difficult and sad times.”

In a post on the social media site X, Erdogan prayed for Raisi, his account reported.

“I wish Allah's mercy upon the Iranian foreign minister and other people who lost their lives in the same helicopter as Raisi,” he stated.

Several foreign leaders have flown to Iran as part of the proceedings, including Tajikistan’s Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan’s Supreme Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Iraq’s Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani.

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