Istanbul attack won’t divide Turks, says Turkish President Erdogan

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkey’s president says that the Istanbul nightclub attack aims to set Turks against each other and deepen fault lines, but the country won’t fall for this game. Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the comments in a live speech from Ankara, the first time he has publicly addressed the nation since the New Year’s attack that killed at least 39 people. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack and the gunman is still at large.

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Responding to accusations in the past that Turkey had given support to the Islamic State group, Erdogan said that “to present the country which is leading the greatest struggle against Daesh as one supporting terrorism is what terror organization wants.”

Erdogan said that “in Turkey, no one’s way of life is under any threat. Those who claim this have to prove it. It is my duty to protect everyone’s rights.”