Death for coup plotters

Two days after a failed military coup, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on those behind it -- and those perceived to have been involved -- is gathering pace.

In the hours since Friday's uprising -- which left nearly 200 people dead in a chaotic night of violence -- thousands of soldiers have been arrested and hundreds of judiciary members removed. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has vowed that "they will pay a heavy price."

A statement released Sunday by the Turkish Armed Forces said those behind the attempted coup have been "neutralized."

Around 6,000 people have been detained so far, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told the state-run Anadolu Agency, adding that number is expected to rise.

The arrests include Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, commander of the Incirlik Air Base, Van, commander of the Incirlik Air Base, according to the Turkish President's office. The United States uses the airbase to launch airstrikes on ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

An "order of detention" for Col. Ali Yazici, a senior military aide to Erdogan, has also been issued, according to Anadolu.

Eight Turkish soldiers were arrested after flying a helicopter to Alexandroupoli, Greece, hours after the failed coup attempt. They were charged with "illegal entrance" into Greece and are due in court Monday.Soldiers in the coup attempt surrender Saturday on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge.

Speaking Sunday at the funeral of one of those killed in the uprising, Erdogan did not rule out bringing back the death penalty for the coup's perpetrators.

As the crowd chanted "we want the death penalty," he said, "we can't ignore the people's request in a democracy -- this is your right.

"This right has to be evaluated by the appropriate authorities according to the constitution and a decision can be made," Erdogan said in the address broadcast live on TV.

"This virus will be cleaned from all departments of the government," he added.

View from the street.

People wave flags in Istanbul's Taksim Square on Saturday in support of the President.

In a rare show of unity, Turkey's political parties united to denounce Friday's coup attempt, but it's uncertain how long that solidarity will last.

Erdogan remains a divisive figure in Turkey. "He's loved and worshiped by a good half of the country," CNN's Gul Tuysuz says. "The other half detests him passionately."

Indeed there was concern among some opposition figures that the President's triumphant call to action would only embolden his tightening grip on Turkey.

Turkey's attempted coup: By the numbers

• At least 161 civilians killed

• 1,140 people wounded

• 6,000 people arrested

• 2,839 military officers detained

• Nearly 200 top Turkish court officials in custody, including:

• 140 members of the Supreme Court, 48 members of the Council of State

• 11 years: Erdogan's reign as Prime Minister

• 2014: Year that Erdogan ran for President -- and won

Coup attempt: Five key questions answered

The coup attempt comes as a shock to a country more familiar with tackling outside threats such as ISIS and the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

For now, Erdogan has urged pro-government protesters to continue rallying, saying: "That's what ruined their plot.

"And for the next week we need to continue this solidarity, we must keep up these meetings."

But even as government leaders declare it's business as usual in Turkey, many people are grappling with the fallout from Friday's bloody uprising.

"Many people are confused by the President's reaction to this uprising -- by his calls to have his followers continuously go out into the streets and create what can only be described as something of a festive atmosphere," said CNN's Arwa Damon in Istanbul.

"At the end of the day, this is a country that is also trying to come to terms with the fact that around 200 of its citizens were just killed."

Erdogan blames Gulen

In addition to those detained, Erdogan is demanding the United States arrest or extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom he blamed for the attempt to overthrow the government.

"Twenty years ago, I clearly stated my support for democracy and I said that there is no return from democracy in Turkey," Gulen said Saturday. "My position on democracy is really clear. Any attempts to overthrow the country is a betrayal to our unity and is treason."

Gulen, who's living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denied he had anything to do with it.

"It could be anything," Gulen told journalists. "I have been away from Turkey for 16 years."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States hadn't yet received a formal request for extradition from Turkey.

"We think it's irresponsible to have an accusation of American involvement when we're simply waiting for their request -- which we're absolutely prepared to act on if it meets the legal standard," Kerry told CNN.

TENSION IN US

In a country once promoted to the wider Muslim world as a model of democratic governance and economic prosperity, the attempted coup was a shocking shift. The nation plays a crucial role in the fight against terrorism in the Middle East.

The ramifications of the coup attempt on the NATO ally and U.S. partner in the fight against ISIS remain unclear.

Turkey has reopened the airspace around Incirlik Air Base, where it allows the American military to launch operations in the air campaign against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

The airbase was closed after the attempted coup and its commander detained for his alleged involvement in the uprising.

The base is home to the Turkish air force and the U.S. Air Force's 39th Air Base Wing, which includes about 1,500 American personnel, according to the base website. 

The attempted coup

The military's claim of a takeover was read on state broadcaster TRT. The military said it wanted to maintain democratic order and that the government had "lost all legitimacy."

But the coup attempt lost momentum after Erdogan returned from vacation at the seaside resort of Marmaris. In an interview via FaceTime on CNN Turk, he appealed to supporters to quash the attempted coup, and they took to the streets in masses.

By the time he re-emerged after hours of silence, dozens had died.

Of the nearly 200 deaths, most were police officers killed in a gunbattle with a helicopter near the Parliament complex in Ankara, reported NTV, a Turkish television station. An additional 1,140 people were wounded.

Erdogan was elected Prime Minister in 2003. Under his rule, Turkey became a powerhouse in the Middle East. His reign came to an end in 2014, and his own party's rules prevented him from seeking a fourth term.

But in a bid to maintain an important position in Turkish politics, he ran for President in 2014 -- and won.

 The post was largely ceremonial before Erdogan's presidency.

He has tried to change that by altering the constitution to give him more power.

Erdogan remains arguably the most powerful figure in Turkish politics, regardless of title.

Eight tips for healthy eating

These eight practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices.
Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates
Eat lots of fruit and veg
Eat more fish – including a portion of oily fish
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
Eat less salt – no more than 6g a day for adults
Get active and be a healthy weight
Don't get thirsty
Don't skip breakfast

The key to a healthy diet is to:

• Eat the right amount of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you'll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you'll lose weight. 
• Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you're getting a balanced diet and that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.

It is recommended that men have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules). Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.

Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates should make up just over one third of the food you eat. They include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals.
Choose wholegrain varieties (or eat potatoes with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre, and can help you feel full for longer.
Most of us should eat more starchy foods: try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram the carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.
Keep an eye on the fats you add when you're cooking or serving these types of foods because that's what increases the calorie content, for example oil on chips, butter on bread and creamy sauces on pasta.

Eat lots of fruit and veg

It's recommended that we eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. It's easier than it sounds. A 150ml glass of unsweetened 100% fruit juice or smoothie can count as one portion, and vegetables cooked into dishes also count.
Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?

Eat more fish – including a portion of oily fish

Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including at least one portion of oily fish. Oily fish contains omega-3 fats, which may help to prevent heart disease.
Oily fish include:

• salmon
• mackerel
• trout
• herring
• fresh tuna
• sardines
• pilchards.

Non-oily fish include:

• haddock
• plaice
• coley
• cod
• canned tuna
• skate
• hake

If you regularly eat a lot of fish, try to choose as wide a variety as possible.
You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned: but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

Saturated fat in our diet
We all need some fat in our diet, but it's important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we're eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
The average man should have no more than 30g saturated fat a day. The average woman should have no more than 20g saturated fat a day, and children should have less than adults.
Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as:

• hard cheese
• cakes
• biscuits
• sausages
• cream
• butter
• lard
• pies.

Try to cut down on your saturated fat intake, and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados.
For a healthier choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat.
Sugar in our diet
Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay.
Sugary foods and drinks, including alcoholic drinks, are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories), and if eaten too often, can contribute to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.
Many packaged foods and drinks contain surprisingly high amounts of free sugars. Free sugars are any sugars added to foods or drinks, or found naturally in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juices.
Cut down on:

• sugary fizzy drinks
• alcoholic drinks
• sugary breakfast cereals
• cakes
• biscuits
• pastries

These foods contain added sugars: this is the kind of sugar we should be cutting down on, rather than sugars that are found in things such as fruit and milk.
Food labels can help: use them to check how much sugar foods contain. More than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g means that the food is high in sugar, while 5g of total sugars or less per 100g means that the food is low in sugar.
Get tips on cutting down sugar in your diet.

Eat less salt – no more than 6g a day for adults

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.
Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much. About three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces.
Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoonful) a day. Younger children should have even less.
Get tips on cutting down on salt in your diet.

Get active and be a healthy weight

Eating a healthy, balanced diet plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of overall good health.
Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health.
Check whether you're a healthy weight by using our Healthy weight calculator.
Most adults need to lose weight, and need to eat fewer calories to do this. If you're trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help: aim to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Don't forget that alcohol is also high in calories, so cutting down can help you to control your weight.
Physical activity can help you to maintain weight loss or be a healthy weight. Being active doesn't have to mean hours at the gym: you can find ways to fit more activity into your daily life. For example, try getting off the bus one stop early on the way home from work, and walking.
Being physically active may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. For more ideas, see Get active your way.
After getting active, remember not to reward yourself with a treat that is high in energy. If you feel hungry after activity, choose foods or drinks that are lower in calories, but still filling.
If you're underweight, see our page on underweight adults. If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.

Don't get thirsty

We need to drink plenty of fluids to stop us getting dehydrated – the government recommends 6-8 glasses every day. This is in addition to the fluid we get from the food we eat. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water and lower-fat milk are healthier choices.
Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugars and calories, and are also bad for teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are high in free sugar, so limit how much you drink to no more than one 150ml glass of fruit juice each day.
When the weather is warm, or when we get active, we may need more fluids.

Don't skip breakfast

Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight. In fact, research shows that eating breakfast can help people control their weight.
A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, and provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health.
A wholegrain, lower-sugar cereal with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

More information

• To help you get the right balance of the five main food groups, take a look at the Eatwell Guide. To maintain a healthy diet, the Eatwell Guide shows you how much of what you eat should come from each food group. It's important to have only small amounts of foods high in fat and/or sugar.
• Learn how to have a balanced diet, and read about the energy contained in food in our page on understanding calories.
• Download Losing weight: Getting started, a 12-week weight loss guide that combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity.

Obama received condolence letter from Raul Castro after Orlando shooting

Havana In the wake of the Orlando nightclub massacre last month, President Barack Obama received an unexpected letter of condolence. It was from Cuban President Raul Castro.

Such a gesture would have been unthinkable even a year ago. But Jeffrey DeLaurentis, America's top diplomat in Cuba, says it is yet another sign of the thawing relations between the U.S. and the island national in the wake of the president's visit there in March.

He made the comments to David Axelrod on "The Axe Files" podcast, produced by CNN and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

DeLaurentis, chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, also called on Congress to end the half century-old economic embargo on the island nation as historic steps toward normalization of relations continue to proceed.

"The President has called for the embargo to be lifted... Going back to the initial idea of engagement, it's expanding people to people, expanding the flow of information, and expanding commercial contact, this fits in very much with that to provide opportunities here and there. So we think it's important that the embargo is lifted," he said.

DeLaurentis, who has served as charge d'affaires to Cuba since August 2014, said the two countries are continuing to negotiate additional normalization measures that can be achieved through the executive authority of the president.

"We've set up, I would say, a very aggressive agenda for the remaining part of the administration," he said. "We'll meet a couple more times, so I'm optimistic about that, in terms of the growing areas where we can cooperate to the benefit of both sides. And I think there's an effort by both sides to try and make as much progress as we can, and that to me is a sign of optimism."

US Charge d'Affaires in Cuba Jeffrey DeLaurentis introduces President Obama to embassy staff in March.

.

"Toward the end of the administration it becomes more and more difficult to make these kinds of changes as we get closer. But depending on how things go, there may be a possibility for... either ways to perfect the changes that we have made already and perhaps explore some others."

But DeLaurentis said the U.S. would continue to prod Cuba to improve its record on human rights.

"For us, the protection and promotion of civil and political rights, these are universal values," he said. "This is something that we believe all peoples should be able to enjoy and express. We make these views known everywhere we go, we'll continue to advocate for them, and we believe with this normalization process -- with the establishment of diplomatic relations -- we now have mechanisms where we can articulate those and advocate for those directly and to the right folks and publicly, sometimes, when we have to."

To hear the whole conversation with DeLaurentis, which also touched on his studies at Georgetown, his three posts in Cuba dating back to the early 1990s, and much more.

Ethiopia ready to send more peacekeepers to South Sudan

Ethiopia said on Friday it was ready to send more soldiers to strengthen the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
“We’re more than willing to take on our part of responsibility in restoring calm in South Sudan,” said government spokesperson Getachew Reda.
“We hope and expect the South Sudanese to bury the hatchet,” he said, but added, “If push comes to shove, we’ll have to carry the burden through strengthening the troop numbers.”
The troops could be deployed as part of an “intervention brigade” with a more aggressive mandate mooted by regional bloc IGAD.
Ethiopia is already the largest contributor of troops to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNmiss), providing 8 300 out of 13 500 uniformed personnel, including police.
Days of intense fighting in the South Sudanese capital Juba from Friday to Monday between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his rival, Vice President Riek Machar, left hundreds dead, tens of thousands forced from their homes and an already shaky peace agreement in danger of collapsing altogether.
“The leaders of South Sudan have failed miserably when it comes to keeping their promises to their people,” said Reda.

Any country with Gulen will be at war with Turkey – PM

Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, on Saturday said any country that stood by Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, would not be a friend of Turkey.
He said that such country would be considered at war with Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member.
The government said that followers of Gulen, who had been living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. for years, were behind the attempted coup by a faction of the military on Friday.

The government accused Gulen of trying to build a “parallel structure’’ within the judiciary, education system and media.

    It also accused him of using military as a way to overthrow the state, a charge the cleric has denied.

Somalia condemns coup attempt in Turkey, closes projects linked to Gulen

From left, Turkey's first lady Emine Erdogan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at a new Turkish embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia, June 3, 2016.

Somalia has ordered organizations linked to a U.S.-based Turkish cleric shut down after Turkey’s president said Fethullah Gulen was involved Friday’s coup attempt.
The decision came in an extraordinary session of the Somali cabinet on Saturday. The government ordered Turkish citizens working for Gulen-linked organizations to leave the country within seven days. The government said the services the organizations provided, such as education and health care, will continue under new administration.
The cabinet said the decision was in response to a request from the Turkish government.
The two countries have close ties. President Hassan Mohamud was one of the first world leaders to oppose the coup attempt as it developed.
“It is unacceptable to reverse the democratic path that the people of Turkey enjoyed in the recent times of their history. This was unfortunate and we are very glad to hear that the evil forces who tried to turn Turkey into a violence ground have been defeated,” he said.
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Mogadishu in a government-organized rally against the military coup attempt.
Fethullah Gulen denied involvement in the coup attempt and has condemned it. He was a former ally of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but had a falling out years ago. Gulen now lives in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. His movement advocates service and interfaith dialogue and has millions of adherents in Turkey and abroad.
“Our position on what happened in Turkey is never to support the forceful change of a democratically elected government,” Somalia Foreign Minister Abdusalam Hadliye Omer told VOA’s Somali service.
Somalia will likely have suffered had the coup succeeded, as Turkey provided about $25 million a year in aid.
Omer said the Turkish people and their government have provided Somali close to one billion dollars’ worth of aid, investment and infrastructure rebuilding since 2011.
“It’s very important for us to stand with Turkey, it’s a big country, and they are our friends.”
He said President Erdogan’s visit to Mogadishu on August 2011 has “opened the eyes of the world toward Somalia” following the deadly famine.
Since 2011 Erdogan visited Somalia three times, including a trip last month to Mogadishu where he inaugurated what was said to be the largest Turkish Embassy in the world.
Turkey has also refurbished Mogadishu’s sea and airport and has built schools and hospitals as well as roads in Mogadishu. Several thousand Somalis are studying in Turkish schools under sponsorships by charities.
Omer dismissed criticism on social media by some Somalis who suggested that the Somali government should “mind its own business.”
“They want us to wait and see who wins and then speak out?” he replied when asked if the government was quick to take sides.
“We were making our position clear. When Erdogan was coming to Mogadishu he didn’t ask any one permission, we owe to them,” he said.

Zambia opposition gives conditions for peace deal

Zambia’s electoral agency held a meeting Friday for presidential candidates over the escalating poll violence.
Last week, a youth of the main opposition United Party for National Development was shot dead after police opened fire and teargas to disperse a protesting mob.
The governing Patriotic Front party with other four signed a peace accord to reject violence, but the main opposition demanded an addendum to provide for “rights, obligations, sanctions and measure for the enforcement of the pledge.
Not a choice
“If those things are in place, we’re ready to sign like yesterday,” Zambia’s main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema told journalists after the meeting.
“Peace is not a choice for anybody, we want peace,” he added.
Mr Hichilema complained of how his party had been ‘frustrated’ from flying their helicopters around as they canvassed for votes, including the denial of permits for them to hold rallies.
A brief comment
President Edgar Lungu who seemly left the meeting incensed, gave a brief comment about the matter before dashing off to a political rally north of the country.
The meeting was attended by the Commonwealth special advisor on political dialogue for the 2016 General Election and referendum, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, and the United Nations resident coordinator, Ms Janet Rogan.
Zambia has witnessed electoral violence mainly in the capital Lusaka, a sign of tension between two main rival parties jostling for power.
Ban on campaigns
The electoral body imposed a 10-day ban on campaigns in Lusaka and Namwala District which ends on Monday.
Eight candidate are seeking to unseat President Lungu, whose party has only been in power for about five years.

Obasanjo urges FG, states to give priority to agri-business

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday urged the Federal and State Governments to give priority to agri-business and treat farming a business for the nation to make progress.
Obasanjo made the call at the First Eminent Persons Business Lecture entitled: ‘Agribusiness: Time to Act is now’.
The lecture was organised by the University of Ibadan, School of Business (UISB), in collaboration with International Institute of tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.
“It is now time for the country to move into agriculture as there is decline in oil prices, inadequate food supply, need to create employment, raw material for industrialisation, among others.”
The former president said agribusiness was a good strategy for economic development, wealth creation, job creation and huge source of foreign exchange.
He also said that attention should be given to agriculture at the highest political level.
Obasanjo said the government should provide conditions conducive and incentives for the private sector to engage profitably in agriculture.
“Adequate infrastructure for transportation and storage must be provided; there should be stability in the price of agriculture commodities.
“Agriculture financing should be kept at single digit rate of interest, agri-business must be glamourised to make it attractive to youths.
“Attention should not be given to professional courses alone in universities, adequate support must be given to agricultural research; we should adopt best practices from within and outside Nigeria.
“There should be creation of agro-service centres within reasonable distance for the farmers, we should add value to our foods to maximize returns from our investment,” he said.
Obasanjo, a farmer, said that the decline in oil might be a blessing in disguise to wake up Nigerians to the importance of agriculture,” he said.
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state represented by the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Mr Oyewole Oyewumi, said that the government was focused on the transformation of the agriculture sector.
Ajimobi said the state had developed an agriculture initiative programme as agriculture was an important factor in the development of the state.
“The programme is to tackle unemployment, provide adequate food and encourage youths to embrace agriculture,” he said.

Serena’s Heartbreak: Williams’ Dad Suffers Debilitating Stroke

Serena Williams‘ Wimbledon glory has been overshadowed by a dark family tragedy, RadarOnline.com has learned: Her father, Richard Williams, recently had a stroke and has since been experiencing debilitating memory issues, his wife told Radar.
Lakeisha Williams, Richard’s current wife confirmed that he did have stroke and was released from the hospital last week. Shockingly, the medical crisis unfolded BEFORE Serena’s Wimbledon victory, but she managed to keep the secret from fans.
“His condition is fair – he’s up and walking around but he’s not at 100 percent,” she told Radar in an exclusive interview.
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Although he is able to get around, Lakeisha said that the battle for a full recovery is far from over.
“He needs speech therapy, psychological therapy and physical therapy but for now he refused,” she said. “I’m trying to get him under control and relaxed so that when we come back from out of town we could try to get that going. But he doesn’t wish to be bothered with anybody.”
“His mind is thinking that they’re going to put him back in ‘prison’ – which is what he calls the hospital,” she said. “He thinks we are just going to take him back to the hospital, but that is not correct.”
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In fact, Lakeisha believes that Richard, 74, is under the impression that he never had a stroke to begin with!
“His mind is telling him that since he was once in charge of his life, after what’s happened he’s not accepting it. To him he’s a normal person – nothing happened to him,” she told Radar.
As of now, it is unclear is the tennis player’s father will ever be the same. But Lakeisha is hoping for the best and in the meantime is coping with her husband’s new condition.
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“We have to let nature take its course,” she said. “I’ve been with him a long time so I know what he’s trying to say. It’s like training yourself for your child – like a baby, you have to think for them.”
Sports fans know just how close Richard was to Serena and sister Venus, coaching them from a young age and helping to mold them into the tennis phenols they are today.

A soap that can stop Malaria "Africa"

 It's just a little sting, so slight often the victim doesn't even feel it.

But it's administered by the most dangerous animal in the world -- the female anopheles mosquito.

This insect sinking its mouth into human flesh to feed its unborn children killed 438,000 people in 2015 alone -- 90% of those fatalities were in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For this region, malaria is still a crippling burden, estimated to cost countries such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo up to 1.3% of their GDP, according to the Malaria Consortium.

So imagine if this issue could be wiped out by a simple bar of soap.

That's what a Burkina Faso start-up is proposing.

A bar of soap

Faso Soap is the brainchild of Moctar Dembélé, of Burkina Faso, and Gérard Niyondiko, of Burundi.

Comprised of Shea butter, lemongrass, African marigold and other natural resources that are plentiful in Burkina Faso, it is designed to leave an insect-repelling odor on the user's skin after washing.

It could be used to prevent against a wide range of mosquito-transmitted conditions -- perhaps eventually even Zika.

"Soap is one product you can find in all African family homes, no matter how poor they are," Niyondiko tells CNN. "Most people wash in the evening and you want to be protected before you go to bed at night."

The majority of Africans, he adds, do not have access or the financial means to buy expensive repellents.

Suds that stick around

Getting people to use the soap, the team knew, would be easy -- but making it effective after it has been rinsed off would be hard.

Photos: Mosquitoes that changed history

"When you use soap, you tend to rinse it off. So part of the effects of Faso Soap would be thrown away," says Franck Langevin, campaigns director for the Ouagadougou-based outfit.

"We decided to combine the latest cosmetic technology with natural repellent ingredients ... we put the natural ingredients into micro-capsules around 100 to 150 micrometers in size, embedded in the soap. These are small enough to stick onto the skin's pores.

"After the soap is rinsed, the capsules remain and gradually break and release the repellent little by little over a six to eight hour period."

The next step

In 2013, Dembélé and Niyondiko became the first African winners of the Global Social Venture Competition at the University of California Berkeley, winning $25,000.

Since then, Faso Soap has been partnering with organizations that have "competencies we don't", such as market-leading soap manufacturers in West Africa, NGOs including Doctors Without Borders for distribution opportunities, and taking their product through rigorous scientific testing so they can bring it to market.

"Once we have the hard scientific data on the soap and its effectiveness in preventing against malaria, we want to approach national and international entities for subsidies," Langevin says.

While markets such as Asia could be more profitable, the group are keenly focused on providing cheap access to the soap to those in need in Africa.

They have set a goal for Faso Soap to save 100,000 lives by 2018.

A possible protection against Zika?

The possibilities for Faso Soap don't end with malaria. Other mosquito transmitted diseases -- such as Zika -- could also be prevented by the product.

More research needs to be done in this area.

"Zika is transmitted by the Tiger mosquito, which looks the same but is actually very different. We need to know to what extent we can be effective with essential oils," says Langevin.

"For now, working on malaria is a big enough challenge -- it kills way more people than Zika.

"A child dies from malaria every two minutes."

MTN, Glo, others to lose N109tn to WhatsApp, Facebook

The growing importance of social
media platforms and apps as well as
Internet voice applications has hit
telecommunications firms hard,
claiming a chunk of their revenue,
OZIOMA UBABUKOH writes
The telecommunications industry in
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is
projected to lose a total of N109tn
($386bn) in voice revenue to the
growing usage of Over-the-Top Internet
voice applications by 2018.
United Kingdom-based research and
analytics company, Ovum, stated in a
report that “the $386bn loss will
accrue over a period of six years –
between 2012 and 2018 – from
Nigerian customers using OTT voice applications.”
Checks by The PUNCH show that the
increasing rise of the OTT players who
provide voice and Short Message
Services, or apps such as WhatsApp,
Skype, Facebook, BlackBerry
Messenger and Viber, is currently
eating deep into the voice revenue of
telecommunications companies in the
country by more than 50 per cent.
The impact of these new services is
further explained in a report by Credit
Suisse.
In the report, the multinational
financial services company said,
“Proliferation of Over-the-Top content
services such as Skype and WhatsApp, among others, could trigger more than
a whopping 50 per cent revenue hit on
Nigerian telecoms companies’ voice
services in the coming months.”
A report by the Nigerian
Communications Commission also
indicated that the OTT could be a
threat to traditional telecoms model by
licensed operators.
“To further worsen this issue, the
traditional operators still have to make
significant investments in upgrading
their networks to handle the increasing
volume of data generated by the same
providers of OTT services,” the NCC
report read in part.
The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC,
Prof. Umaru Danbatta, at a forum with
telecoms operators recently, ruled out
licensing OTT, thereby foreclosing its regulation.
However, findings by our
correspondent showed that the
monthly revenue accruing to the
telecoms operators from the provision
of voice services to the owners of the
over 151 million mobile telephone
lines witnessed an estimated 31 per
cent crash in six months.
According to findings, the aggregate
voice revenue by the operators,
including the Global System for Mobile
Communications, Code Division
Multiple Access and fixed networks
fell from N241.6bn in December of
2015 to N166.4bn in June.
Experts say the OTT trend and the
declining Average Revenue Per User occasioned by subscribers’ low
purchasing power in the face of
increasing cost of operations is
responsible for the fall in operators
revenue.
“Reduction in the ARPU has been
partly traced to the emergence of the
Over-the-Top players, which operators
said are eating into their profitability
potential,” the President, Association of
Licensed Telecoms Operators of
Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said in
an interview.
Analysts told our correspondent that
while telecoms companies in Nigeria
had become wary of the effect of such Etisalat in the country’s $38bn
telecoms market said they were also
struggling to counter a trend in which
the prices of basic voice and data
services were declining.
MTN Nigeria said that OTT content
services had a “cannibalising effect”
on network operators’ voice and data
revenue, because they provide “free”
services, which duplicate services
already provided by network operators
such as voice calls and SMS.
According to the firm, a ready example
is WhatsApp, which provides free
instant messaging services as an
alternative to text messaging services
OTT platforms, the revenue loss was
only going to get worse. This was also the position of the
Commonwealth Telecommunications
Organisation at its OTT conference in
London last month, where it said it was
conducting a research into the
dynamics that could stop the trend.
“The CTO’s plan is to carry out a study
to understand the market dynamics
and policy and regulatory challenges of
Over-The-Top services, both in the
context of their impact on traditional
business models and of opportunities
for innovation and stimulating
economic growth,” it stated.
At the same time, major operators
such MTN, Globacom, Airtel and provided by mobile network operators.
“It (WhatsApp) has also launched a
free voice service,” the company’s
Public Relations and Protocol
Manager, Mr. Funso Aina, said, adding,
“The point to note in this argument is
that OTTs allow users to send
unlimited texts, images, video and
audio messages free of charge, using
their current data plans.”
According to him, the problem is that
these services are provided using
network infrastructure of the operators,
but without commensurate
compensation to operators.
Aina added, “At the same time, they
are denying operators of revenue to
grow their networks, thereby impacting on service delivery and long-term
sustainability.
“For instance, to date, MTN has
invested over $15bn in building its
network in Nigeria. You can now
imagine an OTT leveraging on the
network to deliver its content without
investing a kobo locally. The impact on
revenue is huge.
“Furthermore, because these entities
are not licensed, and because they
have not built any infrastructure
locally, they do not have the same
costs as licensed operators.
“They do not pay taxes, they do not
employ any people locally, and indeed,
they have no local presence
whatsoever, meaning they do not make
any contribution to our economy and their services are denying those who
make contributions of income.”
The MTN public relations manager
stated that it was the view held by
most within the industry, but noted that
“at MTN, we are looking to find win-win
solutions for all stakeholders.”
Aina, however, dismissed the allegation
that some telecoms operators had
continued to dispute a view that they
were making enough money from their
higher paying data services to offset
the loss of voice and messaging
revenue.
He explained, “Every service is
provided at a cost, and we cannot
subsidise one service through revenue
from another; so, the argument as to
whether loss of revenue from one is
being offset by another is really not a fruitful argument.
“The important thing is that services
must be produced efficiently and all
stakeholders, including our customers,
must get fair value for their
investments.”
An analyst at Ovum, Mr. Emeka
Obiodu, who shared Aina’s views, said,
“The use of Voice over Internet
Protocol will grow increasingly over
the next five years to become the
underlying technology for delivering
voice over telecoms infrastructure.
“Blocking these services, entering into
alliances, or trying to out-compete the
OTT players are not going to stem the
tide.”
Obiodu said that a number of factors drove the growth of the OTTs in global
demand, including improvements in the
availability and speed of broadband
networks, the growing capability and
affordability of wireless devices such
as smartphones and tablets, and
continued dominance of social media.
The Research Director, Gartner, Mr.
Sandy Shen, said, “The impact seen
today of the OTT VoIP services on the
traditional revenue streams of
telecoms is just the tip of the iceberg.
“The OTT chat apps such as WhatsApp
and WeChat are putting more pressure
on telcos than VoIP services because
they offer social networks that retain
user loyalty and stickiness. That is
pushing people to go for smaller voice
and text plans, though they still need a big data plan.”
PriceWaterhouseCooper, a global
consultancy firm, however, said there
was a way out.
It suggested that the telecoms
operators should develop a successful
strategic response to the rise of OTT
competitors.
“They must first take stock of the
considerable assets and capabilities
they already possess and determine
how they can leverage them in order to
compete against, or work with the OTT
players,” it stated.

Coup attempt Turkey "Government says situation under control"

 A violent, chaotic night in Turkey ended with at least 161 people dead, but the government said Saturday it remains firmly in control following a coup attempt by some members of the military.

Meanwhile, Turkish military authorities have closed the airspace around Turkey's Incirlik air base -- the site Turkey allows the United States to use for operations related to its air campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq -- a U.S. defense official told CNN on Saturday.

This has led to a halt in U.S. airstrike missions against ISIS from that location, the official said on condition of anonymity. Turkish officials told the United States that the airspace has been closed until they can make sure all elements of the Turkish air force are in the hands of pro-government forces after Friday's coup attempt, the U.S. official said.

Clothes and weapons beloging to soldiers involved in the coup attempt lie on the ground abandoned on Bosphorus Bridge.

There was one exception: A small number of U.S. planes that already were on missions before the airspace closed have been allowed to return and land at Incirlik, the official said, adding that there is no clear understanding about how long the airspace closure will last.

Earlier, the U.S. consulate in Adana reported that power to the base had been cut and local authorities were preventing movement onto and off the site. The consulate warned U.S. citizens to avoid the area.

The base is home to the Turkish Air Force and the U.S. Air Force's 39th Air Base Wing, which includes about 1,500 American personnel, according to the base's website.

Uprising 'under control'

Soliders involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus Bridge on Saturday.

The latest developments came just hours after Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the situation in Turkey was under control, with all military commanders back to work.

"Our nation in this incident has shown a great resilience," Yildirim said. "Those who have done this uprising should understand this reality that no one can play games with the stability of this country and the love of freedom and democracy."

Chaos broke out Friday night when military tanks rolled onto the streets of Ankara and Istanbul and soldiers blocked the famous Bosphorus Bridge. Blasts rang out, leaving stunned residents wondering what was going on.

Turkey's attempted coup: By the numbers

• At least 161 people killed
• 2,839 military officers were detained
• At least 1,140 people wounded
• 1 airfield still under military faction's control
• At least 200 soldiers turned themselves in to police in Ankara
• 11 years: Erdogan's reign as Prime Minister
• 2014: Year that Erdogan ran for President -- and won

The Turkish military claim of a takeover was read by an anchor on state broadcaster TRT. She said the military imposed martial law.

The military said it seized control of the country to maintain democratic order, adding that the "political administration that has lost all legitimacy has been forced to withdraw."

The attempted coup appeared to lose momentum after a defiant President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned from a vacation at the seaside resort of Marmaris and declared his government was in control. But by the time he reemerged after hours of silence, dozens of people had died in the violence.

Of the 161 deaths, most were police officers killed in a gunfire exchange with a helicopter near the Parliament complex in Ankara, Turkey's NTV reported. It said the building was damaged.

An additional 1,140 people were wounded, said Yildirim.

A total of 2,839 military officers were detained, a source in the President's office said. And the Ankara chief public prosecutor's office took nearly 200 top Turkish court officials into custody, Anatolian News Agency reported Saturday.

The officials include 140 members of the Supreme Court and 48 members of the Council of State, one of Turkey's three high courts.

8 seek asylum in Greece

A Turkish helicopter carrying eight men landed in Greece Saturday and the men aboard requested political asylum, Greek government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili said.

In response to this news, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted that Turkey has "requested the immediate surrender of eight heinous soldiers who escaped to Greece with a helicopter."

Greece is considering the asylum request, and the helicopter -- which landed at an airport in Alexandroupoli, near the Turkish border -- will be returned to Turkish authorities, Gerovasili said. The helicopter landed after issuing a distress signal regarding a mechanical failure, Gerovasili said.

How the night's violence unfolded

Witness Katherine Cohen, an American who's staying in an Istanbul hotel, said she heard a loud explosion at sunrise, and gunfire and jets all through the night.

For much of the night, fighter jets flew low over Istanbul while armored vehicles streamed across a main bridge in the city. Gunshots rang out on Bosphorus Bridge, sending pro-government protesters to the ground.

In Ankara, gunfire rang overnight as jets circled above.

"When I stuck my head out, I could see helicopters shooting," said Diego Cupolo, a photojournalist in Ankara.

The Turkey Coup in 90 seconds

He said he could see tracer rounds zip through the air.

Bombs were thrown at the Parliament building in Ankara. A helicopter the government says was stolen by coup plotters was shot down by an F-16.

Erdogan emerges

Turkish people look at a burned car in Istanbul on Saturday.

As the morning wore on, crowds emptied out of Istanbul's Taksim Square, where many gathered the night before.

In Istanbul, a defiant Erdogan addressed crowds, telling them that the coup had been quashed.

President addresses country on FaceTime

"The government is in control," he told supporters as they chanted his name. "Fifty percent of the people elected the President and that President is on duty."

He said those involved will be dealt with.

"So far as we believe, so far as we're alive, we'll be prepared to die in the cause to tackle these people ... we're not going to compromise."

The surrender

Shortly after dawn, video footage showed soldiers surrendering en masse. At least 200 soldiers turned themselves in to police in Ankara, Turkish state media reported.

They walked away from tanks and abandoned their posts on the Bosphorus Bridge, which connects the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines resumed flights out of Istanbul Ataturk airport, which had earlier been overrun by protesters. 

 

The tragedy of Turkey's attempted coup   

Erdogan called the attempted coup "treason" and took to task the forces he apparently suspects of masterminding it.

"Now I'm addressing those in Pennsylvania," he said, in an apparent reference to Fethullah Gulen, a cleric and former ally who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.

"The betrayal you have shown to this nation and to this community, that's enough. If you have the courage, come back to your country. If you can. You will not have the means to turn this country into a mess from where you are."

In a statement, Gulen denied any connection to the coup attempt and said he condemned it.

Assessing the damage

People protesting against the coup wave a Turkish flag on top of the monument in Taksim Square.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the street after Erdogan's call to confront the military was broadcast on television.

Many waved Turkish flags and chanted their support for the President. Some climbed on tanks and blocked the path of military vehicles with their cars. But some soldiers got hugs from apparent supporters.

Ömer Çelik, Turkey's EU negotiator, tweeted images that he said showed some of the damage at the Turkish Parliament:

"Our country has been subjected to treacherous enemy attack, which displays betrayal to the nation, their uniforms and morals. The necessary response has been shown to the enemy and it is still being shown," he said.

CNN affiliate briefly forced off air

Erdogan's rise to power

Erdogan was elected Prime Minister in 2003. Under his rule, Turkey became a powerhouse in the Middle East. His reign came to an end in 2014, and his own party's rules prevented him from seeking a fourth term.

He ran for President -- and won. Before this, the President of Turkey was a largely ceremonial role, but Erdogan tried to change that by altering the constitution to give him more power.

Under Erdogan, who is extremely conservative, religion had started to play a more important role in Turkey, which is a largely secular country. He was active in Islamist circles in the 1970s and 1980s.

How did Turkey get here?

Friday's coup attempt is the latest worrying example of deteriorating stability in a country that a few years ago was being promoted to the wider Muslim world as a model of democratic governance and economic prosperity.

Some 14 years after the Erdogan's political party swept to power in elections, Turkey once again teeters on the brink.

Today, the Turkish government is simultaneously battling two deadly terrorist organizations -- ISIS and the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Society is widely polarized between people who love or loathe Erdogan. Security services routinely use force to crush attempts at public protests against the government. Human rights groups constantly criticize the government for the arrest of critical journalists.

Amid improving Turkish government-military relations, coup attempt comes as shock

The violence has also taken its toll on the tourism industry and the value of the country's currency. 

Official: Military acted outside chain of command

Turkish military seen inside Turkish state T

Explosions heard in Istanbul streets

Turkey chaos a crisis for U.S., NATO

Turkish prime minister: Those attempting coup will pay

Amanpour: Turkish president clashed with military

Who is Recep Tayyip Erdogan?

The sights and sounds of attempted coup

Night of explosions, gunfire in Turkey

Turkish PM: Coup plotters will be tried for treason

Turkish soldiers walk with hands up

Turkey coup: Soldier pulled to safety by police

Videos shows soldiers clear out CNN Turk

A night of gunfire and explosions during Turkey coup

Turkish military confronts protesters

People take cover from gunfire near Istanbul bridge

Turkish soldiers force CNN Turk anchors off air

Witness: We are on lockdown in Istanbul

President Erdogan: Government in control of Turkey

What is a coup d'état?

Turkey has a long history of military coups

Official: Military acted outside chain of command

Turkish military seen inside Turkish state TV

Explosions heard in Istanbul streets

Turkey chaos a crisis for U.S., NATO

Turkish prime minister: Those attempting coup will pay

Amanpour: Turkish president clashed with military

Who is Recep Tayyip Erdogan?

Turkish PM: Military taking illegal action

The sights and sounds of attempted coup

Night of explosions, gunfire in Turkey

Turkish PM: Coup plotters will be tried for treason

Turkish soldiers walk with hands up

Turkey coup: Soldier pulled to safety by police

Videos shows soldiers clear out CNN Turk

A night of gunfire and explosions during Turkey coup

Turkish military confronts protesters

People take cover from gunfire near Istanbul bridge

Turkish soldiers force CNN Turk anchors off air

Witness: We are on lockdown in Istanbul

 

 

Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan leaves a polling booth after casting his vote in Turkey's 26th general election at a polling station in Istanbul on November 1, 2015.

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Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, right, and Erdogan walk together during an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on March 23, 2016.

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Erdogan delivers a speech during his visit to the Turkish War Colleges Command in Istanbul on March 28, 2016.

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Erdogan, right, kicks a soccer ball while Former Turkish President Abdullah Gul watches at Besiktas soccer club's new Vodafone Arena on its opening day in Istanbul on April 10, 2016.

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Erdogan, right, shakes hands with King Salman of Saudi Arabia after the Saudi monarch received Turkey's highest state medal during a ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on April 12, 2016.

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Erdogan, center, chairs the meeting of the 65th Cabinet of Turkey at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on May 25, 2016.

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Erdogan, seventh from the left, attends the Kinaliada Corvette Ceremony at Pendik Naval Shipyard in Istanbul on June 18, 2016.

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Erdogan, right, attends an Iftar dinner during his visit to the Tank Battalion campus in the Cizre district of Sirnak, Turkey, on June 25, 2016.

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From left, U.S. President Barack Obama, France's President Francois Hollande, Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel take their positions for a photo ahead of a working dinner at the presidential palace during the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, on July 8, 2016.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks on CNN Turk via a FaceTime call in Istanbul on Friday, July 15, 2016, after members of the country's military attempted to overthrow the government.

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Erdogan addresses people gathered at his palace for Iftar -- the meal eaten after sunset during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan -- in Ankara, Turkey, on June 27, 2016.

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Erdogan oversees the rescue efforts in the eastern province of Bingol on May 1, 2003, following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Turkish region.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Erdogan wear helmets in Durusu village near Turkey's northern city of Samsun, on November 17, 2005, during the inauguration ceremony for the major trans-Black Sea gas pipeline Blue Stream. The pipeline runs from Russia to Turkey.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan addresses the media after a meeting with his deputies at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, on May 1, 2007. Erdogan unveiled a reform package, including having future presidents elected by popular vote instead of by parliament.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan, gives a David Beckham signed soccer ball to a Turkish boy during at a garden party held for her birthday at the British Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on May 16, 2008. It was the Queen's first visit to Turkey in 37 years.

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U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Erdogan during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on December 7, 2009.

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Erdogan, his wife Emine, his grandchildren and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbas, left, greet the crowd at a presidential election rally in Istanbul on August 3, 2014.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan attends a swearing in ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, on August 28, 2014. Erdogan was sworn in as Turkey's 12th president at a ceremony in parliament, cementing his position as the country's most powerful modern leader.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan leaves a polling booth after casting his vote in Turkey's 26th general election at a polling station in Istanbul on November 1, 2015.

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Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, right, and Erdogan walk together during an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on March 23, 2016.

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Erdogan delivers a speech during his visit to the Turkish War Colleges Command in Istanbul on March 28, 2016.

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Erdogan, right, kicks a soccer ball while Former Turkish President Abdullah Gul watches at Besiktas soccer club's new Vodafone Arena on its opening day in Istanbul on April 10, 2016.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan, right, shakes hands with King Salman of Saudi Arabia after the Saudi monarch received Turkey's highest state medal during a ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on April 12, 2016.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Er

Erdogan, center, chairs the meeting of the 65th Cabinet of Turkey at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on May 25, 2016.

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Erdogan, seventh from the left, attends the Kinaliada Corvette Ceremony at Pendik Naval Shipyard in Istanbul on June 18, 2016.

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Erdogan, right, attends an Iftar dinner during his visit to the Tank Battalion campus in the Cizre district of Sirnak, Turkey, on June 25, 2016.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

From left, U.S. President Barack Obama, France's President Francois Hollande, Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel take their positions for a photo ahead of a working dinner at the presidential palace during the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, on July 8, 2016.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks on CNN Turk via a FaceTime call in Istanbul on Friday, July 15, 2016, after members of the country's military attempted to overthrow the government.

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Erdogan addresses people gathered at his palace for Iftar -- the meal eaten after sunset during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan -- in Ankara, Turkey, on June 27, 2016.

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Erdogan oversees the rescue efforts in the eastern province of Bingol on May 1, 2003, following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Turkish region.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Erdogan wear helmets in Durusu village near Turkey's northern city of Samsun, on November 17, 2005, during the inauguration ceremony for the major trans-Black Sea gas pipeline Blue Stream. The pipeline runs from Russia to Turkey.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan addresses the media after a meeting with his deputies at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, on May 1, 2007. Erdogan unveiled a reform package, including having future presidents elected by popular vote instead of by parliament.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan, gives a David Beckham signed soccer ball to a Turkish boy during at a garden party held for her birthday at the British Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on May 16, 2008. It was the Queen's first visit to Turkey in 37 years.

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U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Erdogan during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on December 7, 2009.

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Erdogan, his wife Emine, his grandchildren and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbas, left, greet the crowd at a presidential election rally in Istanbul on August 3, 2014.

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Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Erdogan attends a swearing in ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, on August 28, 2014. Erdogan was sworn in as Turkey's 12th president at a ceremony in parliament, cementing his position as the country's most powerful modern leader.

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