Turkish President awards Syrian pilot who was held captive for 43 years

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has awarded the International Charity Award of the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs to Syrian pilot Raghid Ahmed al-Tatar, who was imprisoned for 43 years.

Raghid al-Tatari was ordered by the Syrian government to bomb the city of Hama in the 1980s, but he refused to carry out attacks against civilians. For this, he was imprisoned and held in harsh conditions for 43 years under the Assad regime.

He was tortured, isolated and held under constant pressure in Saydnaya prison near Damascus. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, he was released along with other political prisoners.

Erdogan praised the pilot's bravery and commitment to human values, calling the incident an important example of global recognition for the protection of human rights and justice.