President Buhari meets with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly H.E. Ismail Kahraman during his Official Working Visit in Ankara Turkey on 19th Oct 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Ankara lauded the international media for their ‘constructive coverage’ of the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey.

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu made this known on Thursday in a statement in Abuja.

He said that Buhari gave the commendation at a meeting with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Ismail Kahraman.

Shehu said the president also hailed the courage of the people of Turkey for defending democracy in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident of July 15.

‘‘The international media helped the world in trying to understand what really happened (on July 15) and what the government is doing,’’ he said.

The Presidential aide said Buhari reiterated Nigeria’s solidarity with Turkey after the failed attempt to oust a democratically-elected government.

He expressed the hope that Turkey’s assumption of the Chairmanship of the D-8 from Oct. 20, would further strengthen economic, security and political ties of the two countries.

Shehu revealed that after the meeting with Kahraman, Buhari visited a part of Turkey’s Parliament building damaged by a bomb during last year’s coup attempt, and laid a wreath at the site of one of the damaged areas.

The presidential aide said the President then made an unscheduled appearance at the Turkish Parliament in session.  Buhari is expected to fly to Istanbul on Friday for the ninth summit of D-8.