Turkish prez visits Jamia, conferred honorary degree

Please listen to the Turkish media... Then you will be able to see the propaganda against Turkey.

“Don’t hear about Turkey from the western media. They spread lies,” president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at Jamia Millia Islamia on Monday.

Addressing students and teachers at the varsity, where he was conferred an honorary degree, he said, “Please listen to the Turkish media. There are many of them. Then you will be able to see the propaganda against Turkey.”

Calling cultural and educational collaboration as important medium to strengthen relations between the two countries, he added, “Today, it takes 5 hours 35 minutes to reach India. It seemed very distant but we need to come closer to one another and youth will have to mobilise the dynamics. We have to quash the bridges, if we have any.”

At that moment, Jamia vice chancellor Talat Ahmed told the president that the varsity was planning to start a masters programme in Turkish language from the next year.

Erdogan, who is on a two-day visit, called for a joint action to counter terrorism and poverty.

Talking about the migration of people from Syria, Erdogan said people from other countries need to share responsibility to house refugees.

“International organisations need to go through reform to rise for the occasion. Turkey has always opened their doors to refugees from Syria, but we expect something from other countries, to share the burden on our shoulders. Our doors are always open..,” he said.

He said Turkey had been ranked number 1 country for giving humanitarian aid.