Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov passes away

ANKARA (AA) - Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov passed away Friday, a local source told Anadolu Agency.

Earlier Friday, the government had released a statement saying Karimov's health condition was “critical”. According to the Uzdaily, the government had released a statement, saying: “Dear compatriots, with a heavy heart, we inform you that in the last day, the state of our president has sharply deteriorated.”

Kerimov, 78, had been in intensive care for cerebral hemorrhage since last Saturday.