ANKARA
By Gozde Nur Donat
Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies will remain unchanged despite "perception management" campaigns in the "baseless" Western media, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
In an address at an Istanbul university, Erdogan said everyday some Western newspapers wrote about "baseless stories on Turkey" in an alleged attempt to carry out subversive tactics, which he termed as "perception management" in the country.
The president said Turkey would remain steadfast to its goals despite the "treachery."
"No matter what they write, no matter what they slander and what kind of treachery they commit, we will determine both our domestic and foreign policies based on the interests of our nation," he said.
"Turkey is not a country that would bow to such perception management tactics, neither from domestic nor international circles," he added.
Turkey has come under criticism in the international media for not joining a U.S.-led military coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or the ISIL.
The Turkish government has demanded for certain conditions to be met before it enters into any such coalition, including the implementation of a safe haven and no-fly zone inside Syria.
Erdogan criticized the recent violent protests in Turkey that left 38 people and two police officers dead in October.
"They don't want to let Kurdish citizens lead a more prosperous life; but even if they don't want that to happen, we will continue to bring benefits in our Kurdish regions," he said.
The fatal clashes had caused huge financial losses in several Turkish provinces when protesters set ablaze government buildings and vehicles.
The demonstrators had accused the Turkish government of not doing enough to help the Kurdish population in the Syrian town of Kobani.
Kobani, also known as Ayn al Arab, has been besieged by ISIL militants since mid-September, where fierce clashes continue.
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