Turkey’s Erdogan cuts short Muhammad Ali funeral visit

Erdogan and other government representatives left for Turkey on February 9 without participating in the full funeral ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, according to information from Turkish presidential sources. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, second right, Mehmet Gormez, the head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs, second left, and Berat Albayrak, Turkish Energy Minister and son-in-law of Erdogan, lef.

An official in Erdogan’s office denied this, saying that after attending Thursday’s funeral and visiting the Muhammad Ali Centre, he decided not to stay longer because he had “completed his religious service”.

A woman places flower petals along the entrance to Cave Hill Cemetery for the funeral procession for boxing legend Muhammad Ali on June 10, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Former world heavyweight champion Ali, whose record-setting boxing career, flair for showmanship and political stands made him one of the best-known figures of the 20th century, died on June 3 aged 74.

Watch Ali make his final journey and his memorial service below.

His office on Friday did not give an explanation as to why Recep Tayyip Erdogan was returning early.

The Turkish president took part in funeral prayers for Ali but was reportedly refused permission to put a piece of cloth from the Kaaba on Ali’s coffin.

The president participated in funeral prayers for Ali and also had a fast-breaking meal (iftar) with Meskhetian Turks.

But the president’s office said that Erdogan left the United States for Turkey late Thursday after attending the prayer ceremony and joining a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner with the USA diaspora of Meskhetian Turks who were expelled from their homeland by Stalin in the 1940s.