Contradictory versions of the explosion of a mosque in Mariupol
The Ukrainian government said on Saturday that a mosque had been bombed in Mariupol, in which about 80 civilians, including Turks, had taken refuge. One of them, who is trying to organize the evacuation, denied this statement.
“The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roksolana in Mariupol was bombed by Russian invaders,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “More than 80 adults and children are hiding there, including Turkish citizens,” he added, without specifying when the shelling took place.
However, the president of the association associated with the Suleiman Mosque in Mariupol, Ismail Hadzhioglu, who was joined by the Turkish channel Habertürk on Saturday early in the day, assured that the area was under fire, but the mosque itself was not damaged.
“The Russians are shelling the area (…), which is located 2 kilometers from the mosque, and the bomb fell at a distance of 700 meters from the mosque,” he previously specified on Instagram. There are 30 Turkish civilians in the building, “including children,” he said, without specifying the number.
A total of 86 Turkish citizens are still in the city of Mariupol, which his association is trying to bring together by moving from house to house, Mr. Hacioglu told Turkish television. He explained that his association had already tried four times to evacuate the Turks by forming a column, “but the Russians did not let us through” at the checkpoints.
“We will try for the fifth time,” added Mr. Hadjioglu. He also clarified on Instagram that he has two evacuation buses.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry, contacted by AFP, said it had “no information” on the situation.