By Hassan Isilow
PRETORIA, South Africa (AA) – A Turkish lawmaker visiting South Africa has criticized the western media for its biased coverage of Turkey’s foiled July 2016 coup, saying it created the impression that they wished the coup had been successful.
Speaking at a conference in the capital Pretoria, Thursday, Ankara deputy Ertan Aydin, said that instead of writing stories about the shocking violence of the coup attempt, “western media were expressing concern about the government’s response to the Gulenist Terror Group [Fetullah Terrorist Organization, FETO]”.
In addition to the defeated coup, Turkey’s government has accused FETO, led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, of staging the coup attempt and of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party lawmaker said some were also denying that Gulen had anything to do with the coup.
“By their insistence on defending the innocence of Gulenism in Turkey, western media not only marginalized itself, they also fostered conspiracy theories within Turkey,” he said.
Aydin, who previously served as chief advisor to both prime ministers, Recep Tayyip Erdogan — now president — and Ahmet Davutoglu, was presenting a paper titled ‘The implication of Turkey’s failed coup on Turkey –South Africa relations’.
The conference was organized by South Africa’s Afro-Middle East Center in conjunction with Turkey’s Al Sharq Forum.
Aydin said there was no sincere concern on the part of the western media on how Turkey came close to losing its democracy and avoided a potential civil war.
“Nor [was there] any questioning of the media’s own role in encouraging coup leaders by dehumanizing and demonizing the Turkish government as an oriental despot,” he added.
The lawmaker also pledged to work towards improving relations between Turkey and the African continent.
“As a member of the Turkish parliament, I am determined to improve the cultural, political, social and economic ties between Turkey and South Africa in particular, and Turkey and Africa in general,’’ he said.
