MALTA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, paying an official visit to the island nation of Malta, on Tuesday took the time to visit the historic Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery located in a southeastern town.

Fidan, along with his delegation, placed a wreath at a monument at the cemetery in Marsa and observed a moment of silence, leaving red carnations on each grave.

He also learned more about the cemetery from Türkiye’s ambassador to Valletta, Erdeniz Sen.

After visiting the cemetery, Fidan also visited the Turkish Embassy in the capital Valletta.

After starting his diplomatic engagements in Malta in the morning with one-on-one and inter-delegation meetings with his Maltese counterpart Ian Borg, Fidan is expected to meet later in the day with Prime Minister Robert Abela and President George Vella.

Final resting place

Ordered by Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz Han, the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery in Malta was built in 1874 to honor those fallen soldiers from the Ottoman siege of Malta in 1565, including numerous casualties such as Dragut, aka Turgut Reis, the naval commander.

The cemetery, distinguished by its magnificent architecture, contains the graves of those who perished in the Malta siege, as well as 22 Turks who were captured by the British in various fronts during World War I, brought to Malta as prisoners, and passed away here, along with the graves of Muslims who lost their lives in various incidents.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul