By Esra Kaymak Avci
ANKARA (AA) – The international media’s attempt to paint terrorists as heroes and ignore their victims is part of a sinister plan against Turkey’s people and its government, said Turkey’s president Saturday.
"The double standard the international media organizations use in covering the incidents we have undergone in recent years is known," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the opening ceremony of the 4th Istanbul CNR International Book Fair, whose theme this year is the defeated coup of last July.
Saying that the world turned a blind eye to Turkey's glorious victory over the coup attempt, Erdogan stressed that repeatedly telling the story of what happened the night of July 15 through literature and the arts is important.
"It is the binding duty of all of us to hold onto this legacy," he said. "As always, we cannot count on the conscience or actions of others."
The July 15 defeated coup, led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and his terrorist group – the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) – left at least 248 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.