Türkiye Declares National Mourning Following Death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Türkiye will observe a day of national mourning over the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, announced President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. Raisi tragically perished in a helicopter crash, prompting a swift and heartfelt response from Türkiye.

“We have decided to declare one day of national mourning over President Raisi’s passing,” Erdogan stated following a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential complex in Ankara.

Erdogan highlighted Türkiye’s significant role in the search and rescue efforts for President Raisi after news of the helicopter crash in northwestern Iran emerged. “A Bayraktar Akinci UAV conducted 7.5 hours of search and scanning activities in the region despite the difficult weather conditions, covering a total distance of 2,100 kilometers (1,305 miles),” Erdogan noted, referring to Türkiye’s domestically manufactured unmanned aerial vehicle.

Following the crash, Türkiye’s National Defence Ministry deployed the Akinci UAV along with a Cougar-type helicopter equipped with night vision capabilities to assist in the search operations.

The tragic incident occurred as President Raisi was returning from the inauguration ceremony of a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border on Sunday, according to Iranian state broadcasters.

The crash also claimed the lives of Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Malik Rahmeti, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz province.

President Erdogan’s announcement underscores the close ties and solidarity between Türkiye and Iran during this period of mourning and loss.