ANKARA

Schools, organizations, and individuals linked to FETO terror group still operate in Japan and hold smear campaigns against Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

President Erdogan’s remarks came amid his address in Turkish Community program at Nagoya Bunri University Culture Forum. Erdogan arrived at Osaka city of Japan on Thursday to attend G20 summit, then moved to other parts of the country, Kyoto and Nagoya respectively.

Referring to FETO terror group – which organized the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, and killed 251 people – Erdogan said: “This organization still wages intense smear campaigns against Turkey abroad.”

“We [Turkey] expect your support in fighting this bloody terror group,” he said, urging Turks in Japan to take a stance against the smear campaigns of FETO terrorists who were “blinded by ambition, hatred, and grudge”.

Turkey’s top statesman said there was no difference between FETO and others such as the PKK and DHPK-C, both of which are responsible for scores of killings in Turkey.

- Ties with Japan

According to Erdogan, Turkey plans to open a consulate general in Nagoya city to boost cultural ties with Japan and extend a helping hand to Turkish people living there.

"Our brothers living abroad are not guest workers, they are now Turkish nation's representatives, ambassadors and power abroad," Erdogan asserted.

Erdogan called on Turkish people residing in Japan to learn Japanese so that they would achieve greatly and integrate into local society, but warned that their children should be raised in line with Turkish culture so they would never lose ties with motherland.

Furthermore, global aviation giant Turkish Airlines will start flights from Osaka Kansai (International) Airport to Istanbul as of April in 2020.

* Writing by Ali Murat Alhas