Turkey disowns citizen who expressed support for IPOB

Turkey has denied supporting a secessionist bid in Nigeria's southeast region, and disowned a Turkish citizen, Abdülkadir Erkahraman, who expressed support for the Biafran agitation following video footage of him airing his support for the group.

The Turkish embassy in Nigeria denied it's support for the group in a statement released on Saturday.  

Mr. Erkahraman who identifies himself as the President of the International Nations Commercial Association in Turkey released a viral video footage expressing support for Igbo secessionist activists and hurled insults at the Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari.  

His verbal support for the group came a day after, IPOB members clashed with the Nigerian army with several people reportedly killed.

The Turk encouraged “Biafrans” to “rise up and fight a good fight for freedom”.

Abdülkadir Erkahraman, who claimed to be a diplomat, visited Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in his home town in Isiama Afara, Umuahia, Abia State in July.

Abdülkadir Erkahraman, visited Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in his home town in July

In response to the development, the Turkish Embassy in Nigeria issued a statement on its website in which it also distanced the Turkish government from Mr. Erkahraman’s visit to Mr. Kanu.

In the statement the embassy said, “Erkahraman is not a Turkish diplomat or an official representative of the Turkish government.

Embassy of the Republic of Turkey wishes to inform the Nigerian public about the following:

Abdülkadir Erkahraman, a Turkish citizen, has been sharing videos for some time against the Nigerian Government and presents himself as a Turkish diplomat.

Mr. Abdülkadir Erkahraman is neither a diplomat nor a civil servant or an official representative of the Government of Turkey.

The Government of Turkey is committed to the territorial integrity and political unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Furthermore, Turkey never supports secessionist activities against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Tension reached a boiling point in the southeast region of Nigeria last week as the army clashed with civilians as they  moved in to stamp out the agitation by the group.