Iran's media intensifies attacks against Turkey

For several weeks, the Iranian media has been waging a propaganda campaign against Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as reported by Anadolu on Friday.

Like Western media, the Iranian news agencies, newspapers and news websites have been publishing and broadcasting reports claiming that Turkey is supporting terrorists in the Middle East, mainly ISIS.

Iran’s official news agency, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), has given wide coverage to such baseless claims and lies against Turkey.

In an article published on July 26, 2015 in the newspaper “Aferinesh Daily”, IRNA has defended the claim that Turkey is not allegedly engaged against ISIS seriously. It has also claimed in the article that the Turkish government has allegedly given military assistance to ISIS secretly.

On July 27, IRNA has reported in an analysis that Turkey has allegedly given space to ISIS in Syria. In another analysis about Turkey’s cross-border operations, IRNA on July 28 has claimed that Turkey is allegedly supporting ISIS and only in recent days gave up that support.

Several other Iranian media organisations, including Fars News Agency, Tasnim News Agency and Press TV, which are close to the Revolutionary Guards, are also playing important roles in creating a negative perception about Turkey.

Keyhan newspaper, backed by Iran’s religious leader Ali Khamenei, is supporting the propaganda.

The newspaper has said on June 25 in one of its headlines that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are the alleged headquarters of ISIS.

Keyhan newspaper on July 25 has also said that Turkey has allegedly made an alliance with ISIS to topple the Syrian regime; moreover, it says Turkey has allegedly made a secret deal with ISIS so that it would not supposedly carry out any terrorist attacks in Turkey.