The Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Harare would like to bring the following statement to the attention of the Zimbabwean public and media organs regarding the groundless allegations and claims by “The Newsday” and others linked with it.

The baseless allegations of unsubstantiated claims of the author purporting to represent the news organ “Newsday” are not only unacceptable, unfortunate and regrettable, but also devoid of any evidence whatsoever.

The Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye strongly condemns the publishing of this news article without any serious attempt to verify the allegations which merely serves malevolent agendas.

The Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye would like to remind that Türkiye is a democratic state governed by the rule of law and human rights are essential founding principles of the Turkish Constitution. All legal actions are taken in full accordance with the relevant laws and all governmental institutions and public officers must obey the laws. The legal action will be immediately taken against those who victimize Zimbabwean citizens should tangible evidence be presented to the Turkish authorities. Unfortunately, it is very clear that allegations against the Turkish Embassy, Turkish authorities and Türkiye itself are absolutely false and delusional.

It is worth noting that Türkiye is drawing millions of people from around the world, thanks to its attractive commercial and touristic opportunities. Moreover, Türkiye is home to approximately 8 million immigrants.

All visas are issued in line with the rigorous authentication procedures and schedules stipulated by the Turkish authorities. The Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Harare does not work or cooperate with any local visa agency, travel agency or air carrier whatsoever. Furthermore, all visa applications are submitted to the Embassy by applicants in person and no agent is permitted to submit these on behalf of anyone else; a biometric system is in place which scans the fingerprints of every applicant and the process is monitored by the relevant Turkish authorities.

The intention of spreading and publishing this kind of malicious news contradicts with the fundamental principles of responsible press conduct.

Furthermore, publishing such fake news to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Zimbabwe serves different agendas and intentions. It is crystal clear that the main objective here is to attack and slander Turkish authorities as well as prejudice the flourishing ties between our two countries.

The Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye reminds that Türkiye and Zimbabwe are determined to further strengthen their excellent bilateral relations in every field.