Erdogan's daughter says Turkey inspires hope for all Muslim World

Sumeyye Erdogan Bayraktar, daughter of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and vice-chairperson of the Istanbul-based Women and Democracy Association (KADEM), said that Turkey serves as an inspiration for other Muslim nations and shows that democracy and Islam can work well with each other.

Bayraktar attended on Monday the 15th Annual MAS-ICNA Convention, one of the largest and most diverse Islamic conventions in North America, as the guest of honour.

The summit opened with this year's theme, "American Muslims: Islamic Duties and Civic Obligations" in Chicago, Illinois, focusing to discuss the current problems of Islamic World and also in the US.

During the summit, Bayraktar said that since it came to power in 2002 Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has provided religious freedom to followers of all beliefs.

The Turkish president's daughter added that, "Other basic rights concerning language and identity had been introduced in the country, making all citizens, whatever their ethnicity, equal for the first time."

She also accused Western powers of ignoring the democratic progress in Turkey and attempting to manipulate the country's internal dynamics.

Bayraktar also spoke about the July 15 coup attempt, which Ankara says was staged by the Gulenist Terrorist Organisation (FETO), and said, "The Turkish nation thwarted the coup on July 15th thanks to a strong culture of democracy."

Meanwhile, Bayraktar inaugurated the "July 15: Rise of the National Will" exhibition, organised by Turkish state-funded press agency, Anadolu Agency at the annual MAS-ICNA convention.

The MAS-ICNA convention, with the participation of thousands of Muslims across the globe, will continue through Wednesday at the McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America.