Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a speech on Thursday that Turkey is one of the few countries in the world that implements democracy in its fullest sense.
Addressing a group of muhtars, or local neighborhood heads, at his palace in Ankara, Erdoğan claimed that the presence of muhtars in the presidential palace is evidence of how democracy works harmoniously in Turkey.
“Not everyone interprets democracy like this,” Erdoğan said before claiming that Turkey is one of the few countries in the world with a full-fledged democracy.
The remarks came amid international reports that Turkey is still the number one jailer of journalists in the world.
Erdoğan is the only president who has prosecuted an unprecedented number of citizens for allegedly insulting him.
Tens of thousands of Turks from all walks of life have been subjected to a massive purge and jailed on charges of terrorism and coup involvement since a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.