British MP in Parliament laments anti-Turkish prejudice

LONDON

British MPs and Turkish journalists lamented the prejudice against Turkey and the lack of accurate information about it abroad at an event at the Parliament in London late Tuesday.

Turkish journalists from the Sabah Columnist Club held a panel discussion at the House of Commons to tell participants about the July 15 defeated coup in Turkey.

The discussion was hosted by David Burrowes, Conservative MP for Enfield, Southgate.

“I have been a member of Parliament for about 11 years,” Burrowes started his opening remarks.

“I have not known a time when there was such a lack of information about what is happening in Turkey and prejudice in relation to Turkey,” he emphasized.

Burrowes said the only way to redress this situation is through proper information. “And this is what this forum is doing today,” he added.

Speaking after the British lawmaker, Sabah daily columnist and Financial Editor Seref Oguz stressed the strength of the Turkish economy after the coup attempt.

Oguz said that on the day of July 15 the Turkish people not only protected the Turkish democracy but also its economy.

“A week after the coup attempt, $9 billion worth of foreign currency in Turkey had been changed into the Turkish lira,” he stated.

Oguz said Turkish banks did not change their work schedules or procedures when the state of emergency was announced.

"The Turkish people continued their daily routines after the coup attempt and did not panic," he stated.

Burhanettin Duran, Sabah columnist and head of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), said it was not the first coup attempt plotted by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

“It designed itself from the beginning as a parallel structure or a secretive organization to take control of the state. July 15 was not only attempt by the Gulenist movement to take over the government; actually they did this twice before,” he said,

“The first time they tried a partial takeover was Feb, 7, 2012, when prosecutors with apparent links to the Gulenist movement tried to seize the Turkish intelligence chief for interrogation."

The defeated coup left 241 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. The government accuses Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) leader Fetullah Gulen of being the mastermind behind the putsch attempt and a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.

Turkey is currently under a state of emergency following the defeated coup and had the order extended three more months as of Oct. 19.