Japanese boy sings Ottoman war hymn

By Zuhal Demirci

ANKARA (AA) - A Japanese boy, who was stuck at an Istanbul airport during 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, sang traditional Ottoman war hymn on Friday.

Yorihisa Ono, 10, met Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Friday, where the minister met Turkish nationals and officials of non-governmental organizations in the country.

Ono sang a traditional Ottoman war hymn and spoke to Cavusoglu in Japanese and Turkish languages. He showed his interest in the Turkish culture by greeting "Nice to meet you" to the Turkish foreign minister in Turkish language.

The Ottoman military band Mehter used to perform on the battle fields to boost the morale of army and unnerve enemies.

The Japanese minor had some negative opinions about Turkey since he was stuck at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport on July 15, 2016 during the coup attempt, but he later changed his mind thanks to the efforts of Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute (YEE).

After their chat, Ono and Cavusoglu got their picture taken as Ono made the Rabaa sign, an anti-coup symbol.

Rabaa symbol has gained international fame after Egyptian security forces violently cleared protesters camping out against a military coup against President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in mid-2013, killing hundreds.

A four-fingered hand gesture, the sign has become a world symbol for anti-coup protesters around the globe.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.