One of Vladimir Putin’s foes has been found dead in Turkey where he had been living in exile under a different name.

Abakar Abakarov, who ran the Telegram channel ‘Morning Dagestan’, suffered multiple stab wounds, but the exact circumstances surrounding his killing have not yet been disclosed.

A cleaner discovered his body in a pool of blood at a rented villa in Istanbul on Friday after he has been missing for more than a week.

The 49-year-old had been living under an assumed name, while trying to flee Russian hitmen, local media has reported.

Abakarov was put on Russia’s international wanted list after being accused of inciting anti-Kremlin riots in Dagestan through his channel.

He fled the country after the unrest at Makhachkala International Airport in 2023, which saw an antisemitic mob storm the airport.

Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters arrived at the airport as a plane from Tel Aviv landed.

The unrest happened just three weeks after the Hamas massacre on Israel on October 7.

More than 20 people were injured during the clashes, including nine police officers.

Shortly before the attack, the Telegram channel had broadcast antisemitic slogans and had called for the expulsion of alleged ‘refugees from Israel’.

At the time, Putin said: ‘The events in Makhachkala were inspired, including through social networks, partially from the territory of Ukraine, by the hands of the  Western intelligence agencies.’

Earlier, Turkish newspaper Yenisafak reported that the body of a murdered man was found in an Istanbul villa on October 7.

The man had reportedly checked in on October 6 and received a guest the following day, who left with two bags.

The victim had no identification, but police reported that he was a citizen of another country.

The Turkish authorities launched an investigation but have not commented on the case. 

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The next time you travel from the UK to Europe, you might notice some changes at passport control.

For my first trip to Turkey, I was thoroughly surprised and spoiled.

For my first trip to Turkey, I was thoroughly surprised and spoiled.

‘You know, he knows about rigged elections better than anybody.’

Peter Colville was on the boat with his grandchildren when he disappeared in the water (Picture: SWNS)

The family of a dad who died during a ‘pirate ship’ boat trip have claimed ‘unbothered’ staff then held a foam p…

Peter Colville was on the boat with his grandchildren when he disappeared in the water (Picture: SWNS)

The family of a dad who died during a ‘pirate ship’ boat trip have claimed ‘unbothered’ staff then held a foam p…

Istanbul is a megawatt metropolis that’s ancient, decadent and at times, overwhelming. But just a short ferry ride is an oasis of calm.

Jose Mourinho is Benfica’s new head coach after their decision to sack Bruno Lage this week (Reuters)

Jose Mourinho has described his decision to manage Fenerbahce as ‘a mistake’ following his move to Benfica.

The 62-yea…

Metro’s Kristina Beanland travelled to the most famous part of central Turkey with a trepidation.

In the latest instalment of Metro Travel Hot Takes, Deputy Editor Claie Wilson shares a warning about a viral social media hotspot.

Ready to book for Easter 2026.

Okan the bear needed a salad detox afterwards.

Decadence, intrigue, and megawatt glamour.

‘Heatwaves don’t roar like storms – they creep in quietly, but can be just as deadly.’

An elderly woman died shortly after being pulled out alive from the debris of a collapsed building in Sindirgi

One person has died, and at least 13 others were injured, including 11 firefighters.

Martyn Latchman, 38, passed away earlier this week after undergoing the £1,500 procedure at the Cinik clinic in Besikitas, Istanbul.

The man had travelled to Istanbul for a hair transplant, but he died in hospital shortly after the procedure (Picture: Getty/Google)

A British man has died after having a hair transplant in Turkey.

The 38-year-old from the UK had travell…

More than a dozen people dead; tens of thousands of others evacuated;and thousands of hectares of land burning – this is the ‘titanic battle’ the Balkans is facing.

Wildfires are currently raging in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria amid a 44°C heatwave, ongoing droughts and strong winds.

A map from Nasa shows how flames have spread across the region in the last week despite efforts to contain them.

What has become clear is that climate change is accelerating the disaster in a region already on the brink.

Turkey

Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks are now threatening Bursa, its fourth-largest city, early on Sunday.

More than 3,500 people have been forced to flee their homes in villages to the northeast as more than 1,900 firefighters battled the flames.

The highway linking the city to the capital, Ankara, was shut as surrounding forests burned.

Four people have been killed so far. The death toll rose last night after two firefighters, who were pulled from a water tanker that rolled while heading to a forest inferno, died in hospital. Another firefighter died from a heart attack while on the line of duty.

Their deaths raised Turkey’s wildfire fatalities to 17 since June, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed on Wednesday.

Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for Bursa, described the site as ‘an apocalypse’.

He added on X: ‘While carrying water to the forest fire between Gürsu and Kestel districts, the water tanker that rolled into a ravine claimed the lives of our three worker brothers.

‘As our lungs burned, this tragedy added a heartache to our pain. I wish mercy for our brothers and condolences to their families, loved ones, and our Bursa.’

Footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood.

The rise in wildfires comes as Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5°C in the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday.

Greece

In neighbouring Greece, 50 fires scorched the suburbs of Athens, forcing the government to evacuate residents over the weekend.

Firefighters were working on five major fronts late Sunday in the area of Peloponnese, west of the capital, as well as on the islands of Evia, Kythera and Crete.

Kythera, a tourist island with 3,600 residents, continued to face ‘worrying’ conditions.

Deputy mayor Giorgos Komninos told the state-run ERT News channel that half of Kythera had been charred.

He said: ‘Houses, beehives, olive trees have been burnt.’

ERT reported that a fire was still burning on the island late Sunday, but in smaller fronts and the situation was improving.

Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a statement released on Sunday morning: ‘The state mechanism was called to engage in a titanic battle, simultaneously responding to dozens of wildfires across the country.

‘Today, the situation appears improved, but the fight continues with all available resources.’

Bulgaria

Firefighters battled wildfires at nearly 100 locations across the country on Sunday, with emergency services describing the situation as ‘critical’.

Theodora Vasileva, mayor of one of the devastated villages, Kozarevo, in the southeastern province of Yambol, said this is the first time she had witnessed a disaster of such magnitude.

She added: ‘The rapid notification system helped us a lot – people started calling and gathered in minutes. This is the first time I am seeing this hell; the sunflower crops were all in flames.

‘The elderly, whose homes are everything for them, wept. They were so worried, but everything is under control for now, their houses are preserved.’

Emergency volunteer Zvezdelin Vlaykov stressed that in all his years of firefighting, he has never seen anything like it.

He added: ‘It’s a merciless tragedy.’

This comes as two men were charged with terrorism offences after allegedly deliberately setting fires in the cities of Veliko Turnovo and Sliven.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed that the charges have been escalated from simple arson to crimes under Chapter One of the Criminal Code.

Bulgaria is the most affected country by fires for 2024-2025 in the EU, with more that 38,000 square miles affected.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Deadly blazes have killed 14 people., including one firefighter.

At least 14 more have been hospitalised.

Katrina Marshall was left with severe infections after having three surgeries on the same day in Turkey (Picture: Katrina Marshall/Metro)

A woman who ended up fighting for her life after infections following cosmetic surgery in Turkey…

Footage show brawl unfold.

‘Fly high my beautiful girl, till we meet again. I will forever carry you in my heart.’