President of East Timor hails Erdogan's leadership

By Adem Salvarcioglu

JAKARTA (AA) - East Timor's president has hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership and restoration of control in Turkey after the coup attempt of last July.

Mehmet Kadri Sander Gurbuz, Turkey's new ambassador to Jakarta, spoke to Anadolu Agency after presenting his letter of credentials to President Taur Matan Ruak on Thursday.

Gurbuz said he had a chance to talk with Ruak and briefed him on recent developments in Turkey.

"I told Ruak that Turkey is always ready to help the tourism, infrastructure, and education sectors develop East Timor," Gurbuz said.

He said Ruak praised Erdogan and his leadership traits.

"Erdogan organized the people and prevented the July 15 coup attempt. He achieved an unprecedented victory with the leadership he showed during the crisis," Ruak said, according to Gurbuz.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, is believed to have organized July’s attempted military takeover in Turkey, which left at least 248 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

In the midst of the attempted coup, and after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt, Erdogan rallied the people through social media and sent them flocking to the streets, defying the coup-plotters and declaring their allegiance to Turkey’s elected government.