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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Turks Object to Perry’s Baseless ‘Terrorist’ Claim

Turks Object to Perry’s Baseless ‘Terrorist’ Claim

Rick Perry created an international controversy when he claimed, with no basis in fact, that Turkey “is being ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists.” That may be his opinion, but the fact is that the Republic of Turkey is a U.S. ally and a secular democracy ruled by elected leaders. It is not on the State Department’s list of “state-sponsors of terrorism,” and its leaders have not been implicated in any acts of terrorism.