Turkish PM slams foreign media’s coverage of Turkey

İSTANBUL

AA Photo

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has accused international media outlets of launching a “black propaganda” campaign against Turkey following the July 15 coup attempt, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.      

Speaking at a meeting with union leaders in Istanbul on Oct. 15, Yıldırım said, “Turkey is facing a perpetual ‘perception operation’ run by international media outlets.”    
   
He said the purpose of such an operation was to give the impression that there was “no stability in Turkey,” “there is war in Turkey,” “there is no rule of law in Turkey” and that “people are dying every day in Turkey.”       
“Turkey should not have to deal with such black propaganda; it does not deserve this at all,” the premier said.        
Yıldırım accused a group linked to the U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen of being behind the propaganda against Turkey.    
   
“The source of this black propaganda is FETÖ [Fethullahist Terror Organization], which organized the July 15 coup attempt. It is a global [terrorist] organization. It is a closed group and their relations are unclear,” he said.