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Turkey, US agree to restore normal ties (Second Lead)

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Ankara, Feb 16 (IANS) Turkey and the US agreed to normalise their ties, after weeks of rising tensions due to Turkey’s military operation in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.

Addressing a joint press conference with visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Cavusoglu said the two sides will set up mechanisms to address the issues that have strained the bilateral relations, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Our relations were at a critical turning point,” Cavusoglu said, adding that the two sides are going to either correct this or “it was going to take a turn for the worse”.

The top Turkish diplomat said the two sides will hold another meeting by mid-March as part of the mechanisms.

For his part, Tillerson reaffirmed the deep, important relationship between the US and Turkey, which he said is at “a crisis point”.

He said the US and Turkey will work together in Syria, where Turkey is conducting a cross-border military operation to fight the Kurdish militia.

“We are not going to act alone any longer, not the US doing one thing, Turkey doing another,” said Tillerson who, according to CNN, earlier broke protocol by meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan without an American translator or policy aides.

The two NATO allies share the same objectives in Syria, he said while pledging to fight terror group Islamic State (IS) and “other terrorist organisations” together.

While recognising Turkey’s right to secure its borders, Tillerson urged Ankara to show restraint in its military operation in Syria.

He was referring to the ongoing operation by the Turkish military in Afrin, Syria in a bid to oust the Kurdish militia of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

The YPG is regarded by Ankara as the Syrian affiliate of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that has been fighting for autonomy in Turkey’s southeast.

Turkey has vowed to expand its military operation to Manbij where US troops are deployed with Kurdish forces to fight the IS.

The US had warned Turkey against such a move which it said could lead to confrontation between Turkish and US troops. Tillerson said priority will be given to the issue of Manbij as the two sides work together.

Cavusoglu said once the YPG leaves Manbij, then Turkey and the US could take joint steps to restore stability there and in other cities.

Tillerson also expressed concern about the local employees in the US diplomatic missions in Turkey, while urging Turkey to release some American detainees.

The US-Turkey ties have been strained by a series of events since the failed coup to topple Erdogan in 2016 which was blamed on the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in exile in the US.

Washington has turned down repeated Turkish requests for extradition of Gulen. The US and Turkey halted visa services for months in 2017 after some Turkish employees at the US diplomatic missions were detained.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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