On Monday I reported here at PJ Media on the appearance of Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, daughter of Turkish Islamist dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Muslim American Society (MAS)-Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) annual convention this week in Chicago.
I noted that Ms. Bayraktar was speaking at the event as her father continued a massive purge of politicians, judges, journalists, doctors, teachers, police officers, and the military following a botched coup this past July.
Video of Erdogan’s daughter speaking today at US Muslim Brotherhood confab in Chicago. https://t.co/Yr4WkTv77Z
— David Reaboi (@davereaboi) December 28, 2016
But as Chuck Ross at The Daily Caller reported yesterday, in her speech at the MAS-ICNA convention, she defended the widespread arrest of journalists by her father’s regime:
“The fact is, every person regardless of their profession has to face the full consequences of law if they have links to a terrorist organization or promote criminal terrorist propaganda,” she asserted.
“There is not one journalist in Turkey who has been imprisoned for journalistic activities nor for criticizing the president.”
Of all the journalists imprisoned around the world, one-third are in Erdogan’s prisons in Turkey:
#Turkey has most jailed journalists of any country, almost 1/3 of global total #TurkeyPurge via @VOANews https://t.co/j0Mbvnk7kP
— AfSV (@AfSV_US) December 16, 2016
Turkey: ‘Worst country’ for media freedom in 2016 https://t.co/wBJN5KTNgv #MediaFreedom pic.twitter.com/pzvUP8P2VL
— dwnews (@dwnews) December 27, 2016
Remarkably, she continued by calling Turkey “a beacon of democracy”:
Erdoğan’s daughter Sumeyye Erdogan in US, stated today: ‘Turkey is a beacon of democracy and tolerance in the Middle East.’
–
ok.— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) December 27, 2016
In response to our reporting on the event, the MAS-ICNA convention Twitter account blocked both Ross and me:
@ChuckRossDC Blocked me too @MAS_ICNA_CONV pic.twitter.com/UgLgNDlSp2
— Patrick Poole (@pspoole) December 27, 2016
She also used her speech in Chicago to attack the supporters of her father’s stated enemy (and former ally) Fethullah Gulen, going so far as to claim that they were worse than the Islamic State:
Erdogan’s Daughter Tells US Muslims That Gulen Movement Is ‘More Dangerous’ Than ISIS [VIDEO] https://t.co/sWMS1rKeS4 pic.twitter.com/dknps1Ggr4
— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 27, 2016
.#Erdoğan‘s daughter at @MAS_ICNA_CONV: “#Gülen is actually more dangerous than #ISIS.” #Islamists devour this tripe.https://t.co/1mwHJDldn6
— Daniel Pipes (@DanielPipes) December 28, 2016
So basically, she used the @MAS_ICNA_CONV platform to “inform” a Muslim audience about Gulen and to propagandize for Turkey.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) December 27, 2016
Again, from Ross’ report from the MAS-ICNA convention yesterday:
Bayraktar spent the second half of her speech railing against the Gulen movement, which she referred to as FETO, the Fethullah Terrorist Organization.
“FETO is actually more dangerous than Daesh,” she said, using another name for ISIS.
“It is easier to turn some hopeless, desperate, uneducated youth into militants. They have little to lose. If someone comes and promises them paradise, they may give it a try. FETO takes possession of the minds and hearts of well-educated doctors, engineers, generals, scientists, etc.”
Meanwhile, back at home, her father publicly accused the U.S. of supporting the Islamic State — going so far as to claim to have video proof, a claim that a State Department spokesman flatly denied:
#BREAKING: Erdogan says has evidence that US-led coalition forces give support to terrorist groups in Syria, including ISIS &Kurdish militia
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) December 27, 2016
Q: Pres Erdoğan accused US for supporting ISIS. Any comments?
US Spox Toner: this claim is ludicrous. pic.twitter.com/K3oF6ZSCPt— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) December 27, 2016
Speaking of supporting terrorism, HAMAS head Khaled Meshaal was visiting Turkey yesterday as well:
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, speaking from Turkey, calls UNSCR 2334 a “correction…but not enough.” https://t.co/qpNKdx3QJZ
— Grant Rumley (@GrantRumley) December 27, 2016
The U.S. designated Hamas a terrorist organization since 1995.
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