By Sultan Cogalan
CONSTANTA, Romania (AA) – A sports complex constructed with Turkish aid in Romania was officially named Thursday after Sgt. Omer Halisdemir, a martyr in the bloody defeated coup of July 15.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak and former Galatasaray football star Gheorghe Hagi took part in the inauguration ceremony in Constanta, a city on Romania’s Black Sea coast.
The Omer Halisdemir Sports Complex, constructed by the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), is part of an orphanage serving 67 children.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Kaynak said the Turkish government and people view all people as equal and worthy regardless of their religion, race, language, or ethnicity.
Kaynak said they want to dedicate the complex to Halisdemir’s children, who were left orphans when Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) putschists martyred their father during the coup attempt.
Halisdemir shot pro-coup Brig. Gen. Semih Terzi in the head after the latter attempted to seize control of the Special Forces Command in the capital Ankara. Pro-coup soldiers later martyred Halisdemir.
TIKA head Serdar Cam said the agency, which has offices in 54 countries and implements projects in 151 countries, has been working in Romania for a year-and-a-half.
Cam said that in that short period of time, TIKA has carried out 45 projects in Romania.
Constanta Governor Adrian Nicolaescu for his part thanked Turkey for its support to the residents of the district.
