Egypt's Al-Azhar Hails Success of Hajj Season

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb speaks in Cairo. (Reuters)
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb speaks in Cairo. (Reuters)
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Egypt's Al-Azhar Hails Success of Hajj Season

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb speaks in Cairo. (Reuters)
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb speaks in Cairo. (Reuters)

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the successful organization of the pilgrimage this year as the kingdom was keen on holding the Hajj season in accordance with preventive measures adopted to face the coronavirus pandemic and ensure pilgrims safety.

In June, Al-Azhar welcomed the Saudi Arabia's decision to hold Hajj this year and limit the number of worshipers residing in the Kingdom from various nationalities.

El-Tayyeb lauded the efforts exerted by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, deputy prime minister and minister of defense, aiming at serving pilgrims and maintaining their safety.

He described the Kingdom’s decision as wise and considerate for refraining from disrupting the pilgrimage ritual.

El-Tayyeb also expressed in a statement on Twitter his sincere wishes to the Saudi King over his health.

"I congratulate Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the success of his surgery," he said in a tweet, wishing King Salman good health and wellness.



Türkiye Tells Germany Kurdish Militant Groups Must Lay Down Arms

20 December 2024, Türkiye, Ankara: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock shakes hands with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan ahead of their meeting in Ankara. (dpa)
20 December 2024, Türkiye, Ankara: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock shakes hands with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan ahead of their meeting in Ankara. (dpa)
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Türkiye Tells Germany Kurdish Militant Groups Must Lay Down Arms

20 December 2024, Türkiye, Ankara: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock shakes hands with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan ahead of their meeting in Ankara. (dpa)
20 December 2024, Türkiye, Ankara: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock shakes hands with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan ahead of their meeting in Ankara. (dpa)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock on Friday that it is essential for Kurdish militant groups including the PKK and YPG to lay down arms and dissolve, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said.

Ankara considers the YPG, which has fought for years in Syria alongside US troops, to be an extension of the PKK, which fights against the Turkish state and is banned as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the EU and United States.

Turkish forces and their Syrian allies have clashed with a YPG-led alliance in Syria since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad this month.