December 11, 2015•Update: January 05, 2016
BOLOGNA, Italy
Turkish president's son, Bilal Erdogan, has slammed what he called an "international slander campaign" by Turkish media and some opposition figures aimed at "defaming" his family and his country, and he asked for apology from those who have been a part in it.
"I did not think about leaving my country even at hard times. You escape if you are guilty. I responded to all those claims, charges and slanders through legal channels," Erdogan said in an interview with Anadolu Agency in Bologna, Italy, where he currently resides to complete his PhD.
He was was referring to allegations circulated on the Turkish media and social networks that he "fled" to Italy ahead of the Nov. 1 general elections.
Erdogan is continuing a PhD in international relations at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Bologna.
"Unfortunately the slanders directed [against me] by the opposition in Turkey have become an instrument for an international campaign to defame Turkey," he said, recalling a similar defamation campaign against him in December 2013 when a graft probe targeted high-ranking Cabinet members and businessmen.
The December 2013 anti-graft operations saw detentions and arrests of high-profile bureaucrats, the sons of three Cabinet ministers and businessmen.
The government had denounced the probe as a "dirty plot" constructed by the U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen’s movement and his alleged "parallel state".
"There were dirty and baseless claims about me in the process of the graft investigation in December 2013," Erdogan said, adding the media and opposition politicians "wanted to execute me".
He also rejected claims that his temporary residence in Italy was aimed at securing business deals.
I was born in Turkey and I will be in my country and serve for it until I die with Allah's willing," he said.
He also slammed a photograph falsely claiming to show him with "Daesh members". However, the picture which showed people with beards sitting alongside Erdogan were in fact the "Kamber brothers", who are only owners of a restaurant in Istanbul.
Erdogan accused Haluk Koc, deputy chairman and spokesperson of the main opposition Republican People's Party of disseminating the false allegation on the media about the picture, saying Koc failed to extend an apology even after the true nature of the photograph was revealed.
"The quality that we expect from journalism should not be in such a poor state," he said. "First, an unidentified Twitter account posted that 'Bilal Erdogan is with Daesh militants', and then the main opposition party's deputy chair shared this photo with the media without even checking [if it is genuine] ... They should be embarrassed. They did not even extend an apology."
Erdogan said he also became a target of the Russian government and media after Turkey's downing of a Russian bomber jet after it violated Turkish airspace in November.
"All the lies about me fabricated in Turkey have been used by the Russian government and media. I witnessed that these lies and slanders spread real fast," Erdogan said.
"Those who want to do Turkey harm or don't want Turkey to make progress have jumped on these slanders. The Russian propaganda machine, Daesh, PKK, other terrorist organizations and countries have used them."
Speaking on the terrorist group Daesh, Erdogan said Turkey was fighting Daesh "in the most serious way". He also accused the West of creating a false perception that Turkey colluded with the terrorist group.
"Daesh is a heinous terrorist organization harming all Muslims and the peaceful message of Islam."
