UPDATE - Turkish foreign minister offers condolences over passing of Gabonese counterpart

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS ABOUT PASSING OF GABONESE FOREIGN MINISTER; ADDS BACKGROUND

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday extended condolences over the passing of his Gabonese counterpart Michael Moussa Adamo.

"I have learned with deep sorrow the passing away of my dear friend Gabonese Foreign Minister Michael Moussa-Adamo. Extend my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family & people of Gabon. May Allah bless his soul," Cavusoglu said on Twitter.

While some sources claimed that the 62-year-old minister died during a Cabinet meeting, local publication La Libreville said Adamo fell ill while in the waiting room before the start of the meeting.

“He was immediately taken care of by the medical teams of the Presidency and transported to the military hospital in Libreville and he died around 12:15 p.m. Libreville time (1115GMT),” it added.

Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba said on Twitter that Adamo was a "very great diplomat, a true statesman," adding: "For me, he was first of all a friend, loyal and faithful, on whom I could always count. This is a huge loss for Gabon. RIP."

Adamo, a long-time friend of Ondimba, previously served as Gabon’s ambassador to Washington, and was appointed the foreign minister last year.

* Hassan Isilow contributed to this report from Johannesburg.