Rescue teams are set to begin an attempt to evacuate a American explorer trapped 3,400 feet (1,040m) deep underground in a cave in southern Turkey. Mark Dickey, a 40-year-old experienced caver, suddenly became ill with bleeding in his degistive tract earlier this month during an international exploration mission in the Morca cave in the Taurus mountains. More than 150 rescuers from across Europe have been working to save him since. The attempt to bring Mr Dickey out of the cave is expected to begin on Saturday and could take three or four days, rescuers said. The way out is being divided into seven sections, each given to a team from a different country, due to the complexity of the operation. This is regarded as one of the most difficult cave rescues ever. Follow the latest in our live blog here "This is a difficult operation. It would take a [healthy] person 16 hours to come out. This operation will last at least three or four days," Cenk Yildiz, a regional official from Turkey's disaster relief agency, AFAD, told the IHA news agency. "Our priority is health. Our aim is to conclude this operation without anyone coming under any danger." Tulga Sener, the head of the rescue commission medical unit, told Reuters that Mr Dickey's health condition was stable and his vital signs normal, adding that three doctors would attend to him on his way up. It is believed that Mr Dickey will have to take significant rest at frequent points on the way out. Explosives will need to be used to expand some of the more narrow points of the cave to allow safe passge said Recep Salci, the head of search and rescue for AFAD, with the aim of bringing Mr Dickey up a stretcher. Rescuers will use a "security belt" system to lift him through the cave's narrowest openings. Doctors gave Mr Dickey IV fluids and 4 litres of blood inside the cave, he said. More than 30 rescuers were inside the cave on Friday afternoon, and teams comprised of a doctor and three or four others take turns staying with the American at all times, Mr Salci said. "Our aim is to bring him out and to have him hospitalised as soon as possible," Mr Salci said. Members of Italy's National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Team joined rescue teams from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey late Thursday. A Turkish helicopter was on standby near the entrance of the cave, Turkish media reports said. The Italian organisation said six of their rescuers, including a doctor and nurse, reached Dickey during the night. The team planned to work to keep him stable for 15 to 20 hours before being replaced by another team. Small camps set up at different levels inside the cave gave doctors, nurses and technicians a place to rest, the group said. Mr Dickey recorded a video message that was released by Turkish authorities late on Thursday. "Hi, I'm Mark Dickey from nearly a thousands metres," Mr Dickey said in the message, dressed in a red puffer jacket and using a headlamp. "As you can see, I'm up, I'm alert, I'm talking. But I'm not healed on the inside yet, so I'm going to need a lot of help to get out of here," he added. The caving world is a really tight-knit group ,and it's amazing to see how many people have responded on the surface," Mr Dickey said in the video. "I do know that the quick response of the Turkish government to get the medical supplies that I need, in my opinion, saved my life. I was very close to the edge." The New Jersey-based cave rescue group that Mr Dickey is affiliated with said he had been bleeding and losing fluid from his stomach but had stopped vomiting and ate for the first time in days. Mr Dickey added that the response to his medical issues is "a great opportunity to show how well the international world can work together". Footage from the operation showed rescuers setting up shelters in the cavity where he was found and chatting with Dickey. Other teams from Turkey and elsewhere set up camp outside the country's third-deepest cave. Mr Dickey has been described by the European Association of Cave Rescuers as "a highly trained caver and a cave rescuer himself" who is well known as a cave researcher, or speleologist, from his participation in many international expeditions. He is secretary of the association's medical committee. The researcher was on an expedition mapping the 4,186-foot (1,276-metre) deep Morca cave system for the Anatolian Speleology Group Association, according to Yusuf Ogrenecek of the Speleological Federation of Turkey. He initially became ill on 2 September, but it took until the morning of to notify others who were above ground. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More Two men questioned in Lebanon at Turkey's request over 2019 escape of former Nissan tycoon Sunak pledges to ‘put pressure’ on Moscow as he arrives in India for summit Helicopters airlift residents to safety from deadly floods in central Greece What is a speleologist? AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa Is it India? Is it Bharat? Speculations abound as government pushes for the country’s Sanskrit name

Alexia Ocasio-Cortez has threatened to quit Twitter after Elon Musk promoted a “sick” account impersonating the star Democratic politician. The New York congresswoman said that she was “assessing” what to do after the billionaire interacted with the fake account on his social media platform. “FYI there’s a fake account on here impersonating me and going viral. The Twitter CEO has engaged it, boosting visibility,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Tuesday. “It is releasing false policy statements and gaining spread. I am assessing with my team how to move forward. In the meantime, be careful of what you see.”

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An Irish father and his 10-year-old son have died in a crash on holiday in Turkey just hours before they were due to fly home. Eoin Fitzpatrick, 36, and his son Dylan were on holiday at the tourist resort of Alanya when the moped they were riding was hit by a bus. The crash happened at 3.30pm on Monday, just hours before they were due to fly home to Portlaoise in Co Laois, Ireland. Mr Fitzpatrick's other son, 14-year-old Cian, was with his father’s partner and her children at the time and did not witness the crash. The 10-year-old’s mother Claire Dowling has now paid tribute to her son after arriving in Turkey to comfort Cian. She told the Irish Mirror said she is just “glad they’re together” as she described her son as a “kind” boy who loved life. “My smallest boy. I just hope that when it happened – I don’t know how it happened – that he was smiling,” she added. “He loves me and he loves his daddy too and I am so happy that they’re okay together somewhere. “He was such a character and anyone who met him would have said the same. He is 10 years of age and he still holds my hand and tells me he loves me, no matter where we are. He is so, so kind. “What breaks my heart is he was supposed to land today and I know he was dying to come home.” Another family member told the Irish Mirror that it could be anything from a week to 10 days before the remains of Mr Fitzpatrick and his son are returned to Ireland. Laois-based Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley described the deaths as an “awful tragedy”, adding: “My heartfelt sympathies go to the mother of the boy and also to the parents of the deceased man and the grandparents on both sides. “In the days and weeks ahead, the community in Portlaoise will rally around both families and hopefully be able to give them some support and comfort.” A 28-year-old Turkish national who was believed to be driving the bus was arrested following the crash, which happened close to a pedestrian crossing on Monday afternoon, according to local media reports. Mr Fitzpatrick and Dylan were pronounced dead after medics and police rushed to the scene. The Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is providing consular assistance in the case. Read More Turkey crash: Fifteen people killed and 22 injured as bus collides with emergency vehicles 12 killed in multi-vehicle crash in Turkey's Hatay province Bus collision at accident site leaves 15 dead in Turkey Ukraine and Pakistan call for restoring the Black Sea grain deal after talks in Islamabad Turkey hikes interest rates in another sign of economic normalcy. But markets expected more Flooded with sightseers, Europe's iconic churches struggle to accommodate both worship and tourism

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