Colombia: Conference held on Turkey in global politics

By Ahmet Furkan Mercan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s state-run Cooperation and Coordination Agency aid organization and embassy in Colombia held a conference on Wednesday on Ankara's role on the international stage.

The conference, "Turkey’s Impact on New Global Politics", was held in Bogota following Turkey’s July 15 Democracy and National Solidarity Day and attended by a variety of participants including government officials, ambassadors, investors, academics and students.

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

Ece Ozturk, Turkish ambassador to Bogota, said many countries and international organizations viewed FETO as a terror group and that the support of Colombian academics and students were of huge importance for Turkey.

A video on the treacherous coup attempt was shown during the event, as participants were informed on the functioning of democracy in Turkey.

"The international community has understood that FETO is not a group seeking educational or charity activities, but a dark and insidious organization with political ambitions," Ozturk added.

Juan Alfredo Pinto, former Colombian ambassador to Ankara, said Turkey provided the most humanitarian aid across the globe and stood as one of the world's most significant economies.

Turkey 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.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas