East Timor president hails Erdoğan's leadership


East Timor's president hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership and restoration of control in Turkey after the coup attempt last July.

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

Gürbüz said he had a chance to talk with Ruak and briefed him on the recent developments in Turkey. "I told Ruak that Turkey is always ready to help the tourism, infrastructure and education sectors develop in East Timor," Gürbüz said.

He also said Ruak praised Erdoğan and his leadership traits.

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

The July 15 coup attempt was masterminded by Fetullah Gülen – who has been living in self-imposed exile on a 400-acre property in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania since 1999.

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