Latest news with #NationalSovereigntyandChildren'sDay


Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
‘Pakistan, Türkiye friendship form foundation of global peace'
ISLAMABAD: The Minister of State for Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, stated that the friendship and sincere brotherhood between Pakistan and Türkiye form the foundation of global peace and serve as an example for the international community. She made these remarks during the prize distribution ceremony of a painting competition held at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye, organised by the Yunus Emre Institute and Education Counsellor office on the theme of Pakistan-Türkiye friendship. On this occasion, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye, Dr Mehmet Irfan, and the Head of the Pakistan Chapter of the Yunus Emre Institute, Dr Halil Tokar, also addressed the gathering. Minister Wajiha Qamar said that the friendship between Pakistan and Türkiye is not bound by time or circumstances. This is why both brotherly nations become restless to assist one another in times of trial, as if they are one and the same entity. The sincere role played by Türkiye during the recent Pakistan-India conflict reaffirmed this truth. She congratulated the Yunus Emre Institute for organising the painting competition and described it as a creative effort to pass on the sincere love between the two nations to future generations — an initiative that should continue. She also congratulated the students who won in the competition. Ambassador Dr Mehmet Irfan congratulated the award-winning students and said that the artworks submitted by 1,500 participating students were not just paintings but a vivid representation of the deep friendship between the two brotherly countries. He added that the children have given us new hope through the power of their imagination. Dr Halil Tokar remarked that Pakistan and Türkiye may be two countries, but they share one nation within. The Yunus Emre Institute will continue to work toward fostering cultural unity between them. The painting competition organised by the Yunus Emre Institute was held in two categories. In the first category (ages 7–11), Syed Shaheed Talha secured first position, Hadiya Amjad second, and Aniya Haroon third. Special prizes were awarded to Syeda Tayyaba Ghayur, Paghanda Ilyas, and Zarwa Naeem Khan. In the second category (ages 12–16), Zainab Azhar, Rumaisa Fatima, and Aamna Jawad won first, second, and third places respectively, while Muhammad Saeed Awan, Saud Ajmal, Rumaisa Asif, Minha bint Khalid, and Rumaisa Anwar received special prizes. The first, second, and third position holders were awarded cash prizes of PKR 100,000, PKR 50,000, and PKR 25,000 respectively, while each recipient of the special prizes received PKR 10,000. The Yunus Emre Institute organised this painting competition in connection with Türkiye's National Sovereignty and Children's Day. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025


Express Tribune
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Turkish consulate celebrates Children's Day
The Turkish Consulate in collaboration with Pak-Turk Maarif Schools and Colleges organised a series of events in Karachi on the occasion of the National Sovereignty and Children's Day, and the 105th anniversary of the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, said a statement on Saturday. Addressing the event, Turkish Consul General in Karachi, Cemal Sangu said that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkiye, decided to celebrate April 23 as a holiday in 1924, the only universal holiday dedicated to children. With UNESCO's declaration of 1979 as the "World Children's Year", this holiday is celebrated with great enthusiasm and excitement together with the children of the world, he added.


Euronews
24-04-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
Hundreds injured after magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes near Istanbul
ADVERTISEMENT An earthquake preliminarily measured at magnitude 6.2 shook Istanbul and other neighbouring cities and provinces in northwestern Turkey on Wednesday. There were no reports of fatalities or serious damage according to Turkish officials. At least 236 people were injured and are being treated for their wounds. Officials say most of the injuries were a result of panic attacks and trying to jump from buildings. Istanbul is considered a high risk city for a major earthquake, experts warn the city has a 64% of experiencing an at least magnitude 7 earthquake by the year 2030. Wednesday's tremor had a shallow depth of 10 kilometres according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The epicentre is the Sea of Marmara, about 40 kilometres southwest of the most populous Turkish city. It was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Tekirdag, Yalova, Bursa and Balikesir and in the coastal city of Izmir, some 550 kilometres south of Istanbul. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the earthquake lasted approximately 13 seconds and was followed by more than 100 aftershocks, with the strongest measuring in at magnitude 5.9. The quake started at 12:49 pm local time on Wednesday during a public holiday, when many children were out of school and celebrating in the streets of Istanbul. Panicked residents rushed from their homes and buildings into the streets. 'We were having breakfast. At first, we felt a small earthquake. Later, when we went to the sink to freshen up, I saw the shaking,' said an Istanbul resident speaking to Euronews. Authorities urged civilians to avoid entering buildings that might have been damaged and said sports halls and mosques would be open to house residents not wanting to spend the night in their homes. Officials also urged the public to remain outdoors as aftershocks were anticipated. 'We're lucky enough to live in an apartment built on a foundation. It's safe there too. But we decided to wait a little longer. When we feel safe, we'll go home too, God willing,' said another Istanbulite. Authorities had received 378 reports of 'structural damage' in various buildings, said Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, adding that 12 buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Only one building — a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city's historic Fatih district — had collapsed, officials said. "Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an event marking the National Sovereignty and Children's Day holiday. "May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents and troubles,' added Erdogan. Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. ADVERTISEMENT A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb. 6, 2023, and a second powerful tremor hours later, killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria. In a bid to prevent damage from any future quake, the national government and local administrations started urban reconstruction projects to fortify buildings at risk and launched campaigns to demolish those at risk of collapse.


The Independent
24-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
More than 200 injured after jumping from buildings in 6.2 earthquake in Istanbul
At least 236 residents were injured after jumping from buildings in panic following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Istanbul on Wednesday. Many residents were also forced to spend the night outdoors after powerful aftershocks. The earthquake, with a shallow depth of six miles (10km), struck with its epicentre in the Sea of Marmara, about 25 miles (40km) southwest of Istanbul, according to the United States Geological Survey. Health minister Kemall Memisoglu said a total of 236 people from across the city were being treated in hospitals after surviving falls or leaping from the building to escape the earthquake. He said 173 of the injuries were in Istanbul while the rest were in surrounding provinces. The earthquake struck at 12.49pm on Wednesday, a public holiday when many children were off from school and celebrating in the streets of Istanbul, the city of 16 million people. The tremors were felt in the neighbouring provinces of Tekirdag, Yalova, Bursa and Balikesir and in the coastal city of Izmir, some 340 miles south of Istanbul. Only one building, a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city's historic Fatih district, has collapsed, officials said. Authorities received 378 reports of "structural damage" in various buildings, said environment, urbanisation and climate change minister Murat Kurum, adding that 12 buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Hundreds of residents panicked because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake and resorted to jumping from the windows and balconies of their houses, fearing the collapse of the buildings. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the earthquake lasted 13 seconds and was followed by more than 100 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.9 in magnitude. CCTV footage from a street showed a man jumping on the roof of a car and sliding down. He appeared hurt as he limped to walk away from the car. A TV presenter appeared in shock and urged the control room to 'call my mum' as she was captured on camera during a live broadcast. CNN Turk presenter Meltem Bozbeyoğlu was visibly panicked as the studio shook and repeatedly called her team to dial her mother. Authorities have urged the residents to avoid entering the buildings that might have been damaged and could be at risk of falling. People have been urged to move to sports halls and mosques that would be open to house residents not wanting to spend the night in their homes. Some of the residents pitched tents in parks to spend the night outdoors as aftershocks continued to shake the buildings. "Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now," president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an event marking the National Sovereignty and Children's Day holiday. "May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents and troubles." Leyla Ucar, a personal trainer, said 'it was a very scary' moment and happened when she was exercising with her student on the 20th floor of a building. "We shook incredibly. It threw us around, we couldn't understand what was happening, we didn't think of an earthquake at first because of the shock," she said. Senol Sari, 51, said he was with his children in the living room of their third floor apartment when he heard a loud noise and the building started shaking. They fled to a nearby park where they "waited for it to pass", Mr Sari said, adding that they stayed worried even after returning home. Cihan Boztepe, 40, said he fled to the street with his family and remembered the 2023 earthquake when he was living in the Batman province. "At first we were shaken, then it stopped, then we were shaken again," he standing next to a sobbing child. Schools have been shut down for the week till Friday in Istanbul but that "in line with the need for a safe space, our school gardens are open to the use of all our citizens', education minister Yusuf Tekin said. Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. At least 53,000 people were killed in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on 6 February 2023 which was followed by a second powerful tremor. The earthquake caused vast damage to buildings and roads in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. The same earthquake killed 6,000 people in neighbouring Syria. The earthquake has prompted an exodus-like situation with many people queuing outside petrol pump stations to leave Istanbul after the quake. Among them was Emre Senkay who said he might leave if a more severe earthquake strikes later in the day.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
CNN Anchor Delivers Breaking News Live as Earthquake Strikes Istanbul
All in a day's work! CNN Türk anchor Meltem Bozbeyoğlu proved that she wasn't going to let a 6.2 earthquake rattle her from doing her job. The shaking began on April 23 at 1 p.m. local time. The TV anchor in Turkey sounded a bit nervous as she delivered the news and held up her hand to let everyone know that this was a moment to pay attention to. Bozbeyoğlu was in the middle of her broadcast when the event happened and the alarming footage was later shared on X. The Associated Press reported that the earthquake occurred in Istanbul and while there were "no immediate reports of serious damage," approximately 236 people were injured. Most of the injuries were not from the earthquake though. The media outlet shared that many citizens were hurt when they tried "to jump from buildings or for panic attacks" because Istanbul is a "high-risk" city for earthquakes. The natural disaster happened on a national holiday with most kids out of school and residents off from work. "Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now,' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said to a crowd at the National Sovereignty and Children's Day holiday event, per People. 'May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents, and troubles.' The quake left many people feeling uneasy, so they spent the night outside in an open space, according to the BBC. There was a concern that aftershocks could be an ongoing issue, and many residents didn't feel safe inside without confirmation that their buildings were safe.