Tag: Türkiye

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World Cup Qualifying: Sweden, Czechia, Türkiye, DR Congo advance

Iraq’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has completed the lineup of 48 nations for the tournament hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The Lions of Mesopotamia edged Bolivia 2-1 on Tuesday to win the second final of the FIFA Playoff tournament in Mexico. In the first final earlier, Democratic Republic of the Congo beat Jamaica 1-0.

In the other games, Turkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden and Czechia were the final four teams to complete the European quota of World Cup qualification.

Widely considered the most famous sporting event in the world, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be its biggest ever. Forty-eight nations will play instead of the usual 32, with 104 matches in 16 venues across the three host nations.

Argentina will look to defend the trophy lifted by iconic captain, Lionel Messi at Qatar 2022. Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan will make their debut.

The World Cup’s first game will be a throwback to 2010 when Mexico take on South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City in a replay of the tournament opener then. Football fans will hope the opening goal this year matches the screamer scored by Lawrence Tshabalala from the South African hosts then. (AlJazeera)

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Tinubu Returns From Türkiye

President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria from his state visit to the Republic of Türkiye.

Tinubu arrived at about 8:55 p.m.

He was received by senior government officials.

The President had departed Abuja for Türkiye on January 26, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

It follows an earlier official visit to Nigeria by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan between October 19 and 20, 2021, which reinforced diplomatic ties between Abuja and Ankara.

During the days-long trip, Tinubu and his Turkish counterpart signed nine Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).

At the centre of this was the move to ramp up bilateral trade from $2 billion to $5 billion.

“We also discussed opportunities to support our investments in Nigeria. We believe that the joint Economy and Trade Committee, which we agreed to establish today, will be instrumental in this regard,” Tinubu had said in a joint briefing with Erdogan.

Other deals sealed during the trip ranged from energy cooperation, media, higher education, and Halal Quality Infrastructure, aimed at giving Nigerian agricultural products a competitive edge.

Erdogan said his country would support Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, expressing readiness to deepen cooperation in military training and intelligence.

Speaking at a joint press conference, the Turkish president said that under Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria is taking firm steps against terrorism, and Türkiye stands by the Nigerian people in this struggle.

“We are ready to share Türkiye’s significant experience in counterterrorism,” presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, quoted the Turkish leader as saying.

The Turkish president also said terrorist groups, particularly in Africa’s Sahel region, pose a threat to the continent’s stability.

Nigerian officials held meetings with Türkiye’s leading defense industry firms during the visit and expressed confidence that the outcomes of those talks would be positive.

While Nigeria exports crude oil and agricultural products to Turkiye, the European country exports planes, iron and steel, chemical products, and helicopters to the West African country. (Channels)