[ABC] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cut short his trip to the United States today after being denied permission to participate in critical aspects of Muhammad Ali's funeral, according to a report published by Turkey's Dogan news agency.
Erdogan traveled to the U.S. to partake in Ali's funeral services. He decided to leave after reportedly being denied the right to drape a piece of ceremonial cloth on Ali's coffin during funeral prayers. Before arriving on U.S. soil, funeral organizers had removed him from the list of potential speakers at Ali's funeral, citing a limitation of time as the cause for his exclusion, according to Dogan.
Adding to an air of discord surrounding the Turkish president's trip was a short quarrel that allegedly occurred between U.S. secret service officials and Turkish presidential body guards over a matter of standing room. A request for comment by ABC News to the U.S. Secret Service was not immediately returned.
Erdogan, who has made the promotion of his Muslim heritage a central part of his legacy as president, highlighted Ali's Muslim faith yesterday at a dinner with several American Muslims. |