13 inmates die in Turkish prison fireJune 17, 2012 - 17:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Thirteen prisoners have died and five others have been taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a prison in southeast Turkey, officials said, according to BBC News. The victims suffocated after inmates set bedding alight at the jail in Sanliurfa province. The fire was brought under control before it spread to the rest of the jail, which houses about 1,000 inmates. Turkish media said the blaze took place during a mutiny, but the local governor denied the claim. Governor Celalettin Guvenc told Reuters that the blaze took place following a row between the inmates. It took one-and-a-half hours before the blaze was extinguised, the news agency reports. Those detained at Sanliurfa include political prisoners, reports say. Ibrahim Ayhan, a member of parliament from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), was among those in the jail but was not believed to have been harmed, broadcaster NTV said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |