THE SIDELINES : Soviet Weightlifter Seeks Asylum
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From Times Wire Services
ANKARA, Turkey — A Soviet weightlifter who won the featherweight division in the world championships in Athens went to the Turkish Embassy there and asked for asylum, the Foreign Ministry said today.
The 125-pound weightlifter, Hafiz Suleymanov, performed last week, but ministry spokesman Ferhat Ataman would not say when the defection took place.
Government officials said a charter plane will be sent to Athens to bring Suleymanov, who is an ethnic Turk, to Turkey.
