Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called boxing legend Muhammed Ali’s wife Lonnie to offer his condolences, Turkish media reported on Saturday.
Citing Presidential sources, the media reports said that Erdoğan told Lonnie Ali that her husband’s passing deeply upset him and wished Allah’s mercy upon him. Erdoğan also marked that Muhammed Ali had a unique place for Muslims, especially for Turkish people.
The former world heavyweight boxing champion died at the age of 74 at an Arizona hospital on Friday. He had been admitted to the hospital on Thursday. Ali was suffering from Parkinson’s disease since 1984 and other health issues stemming from the disease for years.