Devrim
26th March 2009, 22:30
Helicopter carrying Turkish party leader still missing, hopes fading http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/p/english2008/spacer.gif .hurriyet2008-detailbox-newslink { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; color:#000000;} .hurriyet2008-detailbox-newslink:hover { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:underline; color:#990000;} http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/p/hd/hurriyet-hd-subject-left.gif RELATED STORIES http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/p/hd/hurriyet-hd-subject-right.gif
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/images/hurriyet-hd-news-icon.gif Turkish party leader missing in helicopter crash (http://photonews.hurriyet.com.tr/galeridetay.aspx?cid=21448&rid=18813)
Intense search efforts failed to find the missing helicopter more than 24 hours after it crashed in southeastern Turkey carrying the leader of a far-right party, as hopes of finding survivors fade. (UPDATED)
A helicopter carrying six people, including Muhsin Yazicioglu, leader of the Great Unity Party (BBP), crashed Wednesday at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) in the Goksun district of the Kahramanmaras province.
Hundreds of gendarmerie forces, villagers and village guards, as well as party members are among those taking part in the search and rescue efforts. Officials say harsh weather conditions hamper rescue efforts in the mountainous area where the search is underway.
There is no signal coming from the helicopter, Interior Minister Besir Atalay told a press conference. "We hope we can find them alive," Atalay said. "We’re doing our best."
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrived Thursday in Kahramanmaras, while Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan cut short his formal visit to Tunisia, and decided to return to Turkey.
Many political parties, including Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), as well as the Felicity Party (SP) canceled their election rallies scheduled for Thursday.
A recording of a phone conversation between a reporter from the private Ihlas News Agency and the emergency services was released early Thursday.
According to a recording broadcast on TV channels, Ismail Gunes told an emergency service officer that his leg was broken and that "everybody else on the helicopter seems to be dead."
BBP officials urged the government to step up search and rescue efforts, while a number of party members protested Interior Minister Besir Atalay, who visited the region, over the failure of efforts to locate the crash site almost 20 hours after the accident.
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http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/images/hurriyet-hd-news-icon.gif Turkish party leader missing in helicopter crash (http://photonews.hurriyet.com.tr/galeridetay.aspx?cid=21448&rid=18813)
Intense search efforts failed to find the missing helicopter more than 24 hours after it crashed in southeastern Turkey carrying the leader of a far-right party, as hopes of finding survivors fade. (UPDATED)
A helicopter carrying six people, including Muhsin Yazicioglu, leader of the Great Unity Party (BBP), crashed Wednesday at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) in the Goksun district of the Kahramanmaras province.
Hundreds of gendarmerie forces, villagers and village guards, as well as party members are among those taking part in the search and rescue efforts. Officials say harsh weather conditions hamper rescue efforts in the mountainous area where the search is underway.
There is no signal coming from the helicopter, Interior Minister Besir Atalay told a press conference. "We hope we can find them alive," Atalay said. "We’re doing our best."
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrived Thursday in Kahramanmaras, while Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan cut short his formal visit to Tunisia, and decided to return to Turkey.
Many political parties, including Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), as well as the Felicity Party (SP) canceled their election rallies scheduled for Thursday.
A recording of a phone conversation between a reporter from the private Ihlas News Agency and the emergency services was released early Thursday.
According to a recording broadcast on TV channels, Ismail Gunes told an emergency service officer that his leg was broken and that "everybody else on the helicopter seems to be dead."
BBP officials urged the government to step up search and rescue efforts, while a number of party members protested Interior Minister Besir Atalay, who visited the region, over the failure of efforts to locate the crash site almost 20 hours after the accident.
Devrim