Anadolu Agency Athens correspondent passes away

By Salih Baran and Omer Tugrul Cam

EDIRNE / ANKARA, Turkey (AA) - Furkan Naci Top, Anadolu Agency's chief finance correspondent in Athens, has lost his life in the university hospital where he was being treated for cancer. He was 34.

Top’s funeral service was held in the city of Edirne, northwestern Turkey, where he was from.

The funeral was attended by his family, as well as Anadolu Agency International Operations Director Mucahit Muhammed Soykan, Finance Editor Yilmaz Yildiz, Edirne Region Chief Salih Baran, and other colleagues.

Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu both telephoned Senol Kazanci, the agency’s director general, to express their condolences.

Kazanci said everyone did everything in their power for his recovery.

He shared his condolences with Top’s family, saying the entire agency is deeply saddened by this loss.

Michalis Psilos, former head of the official Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), said he had worked closely with Top, and praised him as a very successful journalist.

Psilos said Furkan would always be remembered for his energy and lovely smile.

Before his appointment to Athens, Furkan Naci Top also worked for a time at the agency’s English News Desk.

*Writing by Firdevs Bulut