‘He’s on his own’ – Turkey distances itself from businessman who endorsed Biafra

The Turkish embassy in Nigeria has distanced itself from Abdülkadir Erkahraman, a Turkish citizen who has expressed support for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

In June, Erkahraman visited Kanu at his residence in Afarakwu, Abia state.

Three months earlier, Erkahraman released a video where he hailed IPOB and made reference to an exhibition which Biafra agitators organised in Spain back in 2015.

He said the programme “drew daggers of faith into the heart of the Nigerian officials”.

But in a statement sent to TheCable on Sunday, the Turkish embassy made it clear that it was not in support of the views of Erkahraman.

“The Republic of Turkey wishes to inform the Nigerian public about the following,” the statement read.

“Abdülkadir Erkahraman, a Turkish citizen, has been sharing videos for some time against the Nigerian government and presents himself as a Turkish diplomat.

“Mr. Abdülkadir Erkahraman is neither a diplomat nor a civil servant or an official representative of the government of Turkey.

“The government of Turkey is committed to the territorial integrity and political unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Furthermore, Turkey never supports secessionist activities against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”