Middle East Features
Erdogan's fiery remarks hurting Turkish-Israeli ties (News Feature)
By Christopher Wade Jan 30, 2009, 8:56 GMT
Ankara - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of the harshest critics of Israel's recent military operations in the Gaza Strip but he surprised all observers with his remarkably fiery remarks made Thursday night at a panel discussion with Israel's President Shimon Peres.
'You (Israel) know very well how to kill people,' an enraged Erdogan said to Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 'Your raising your voice (to me) shows the psychology of the guilty.'
'You killed people,' Erdogan said, adding 'the Sixth Commandment says, 'Thou shall not kill.''
After being cut off by the moderator and complaining that Peres had been allowed more time to speak, Erdogan stormed out of the panel discussion saying 'for me Davos is finished.'
Word of Erdogan's explosive speech spread quickly in Turkey and thousands of people gathered at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport in the early hours of Friday morning to welcome home what one banner described as 'the conquer of Davos.'
From the first day of Israel's military offensive in Gaza Erdogan has been a loud critic, condemning Israel's 'disproportionate use of force,' saying the operation was a 'crime against humanity' and a 'stain on history's page.'
The prime minister's forceful statements and anti-Semitism on show at protests around Turkey were enough to alarm US Jewish lobbying groups to issue a public appeal to Erdogan.
'Our Jewish friends in Turkey feel besieged and threatened. A connection is clearly perceived between the inflammatory denunciation of Israel by Turkish officials and the rise of anti-Semitism,' the leaders of five US Jewish lobby groups said in an open letter to Erdogan.
At various protests around Turkey demonstrators have shouted anti-Israel and anti-Jewish slogans. A group of nationalists in Eskisehir made headlines when they hung a sign outside their office which read 'dogs allowed, Armenians and Jews cannot enter.'
Facing increased criticism from abroad as well as from liberals in the Turkish press, Erdogan in recent days had toned down his remarks and has specifically condemned anti-Semitism.
In an attempt to distance the government from its perceived pro- Hamas line, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan earlier this week told reporters that Hamas needed to decide whether it wants to be an armed group or a political party. It was a line that Erdogan repeated Thursday night in Davos.
In recent years Turkey has attempted to use its position in having good ties with both Israel and its fellow Muslim nations in the Middle East to play the role of mediator but Erdogan's statements appear to have undermined that aim.
'We have lost the impartiality we had between Hamas and Fatah, as well as between Syria and Israel,' retired diplomat Inal Batu was quoted in Hurriyet newspaper on Friday.
After their heated debate Thursday night Peres telephoned Erdogan and apologized for raising his voice. Erdogan in turn has said that his walking out of the debate was in protest at the moderator, not at Peres. The diplomatic spinning has started but there is no doubt that Turkish-Israeli ties have been hurt.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
above commentor is right
exactly!
no one can criticize israel without being labeled anti-semitic!
' Turkey kills people '
' Turkish warplanes have regularly bombed areas inside Iraq along the border with Turkey '
' families have been displaced by the Turkish bombings '
' Fierce Turkish assault takes heavy toll '
' UN urges end to Turkish military assault '
'anti-Semitism on show at protests around Turkey'
If true then the Turks are terribly ignorant. The zionist goons in Israel are not semites at all, they are Khazars from Europe who have taken Palestine by force of arms from the native population against which which they have been practicing genocide for 60 years.
To be 'anti-semitic' would mean to be anti-Arab.
Sorry Gioconnda you are ignorant of the history of the area. Just because an ancient peole are forcefully scattered to other regions of the world doesn't mean the are indigenous to that area they came from. The ancient ancestors were there thousands of years ago-thousands. There is no such thing a a Palestinian. They are Arabs and thing else. The Jews were the first ones to be called Palestinians by the Romams.
How convenient for the Turk. Turks kill Armenians or doesn't he remember the millions. Secondly: This guy knew the terrost scumbags have been smuggling in arms, weapons through the tunnels and he has seen rockets by the tens of thosands fired into Israel but nar a sound from him. Now when his Muslim allies are kiccking their rear ends kicked he screams bloody murder! Where was he when rockets rained down on Israel, when car bombs blew up, when suicide bombers killed andmained hundred and hundrdeds of men, women and yes children in Israel. Not a peep from the scumbag hypcrite.
Dave, I am far from 'ignorant of the history of the area' but, unlike you, I am capable of distinguishing between history and mythology.
1. You and your Khazar 'landsmen' are no more 'indiginous to Palestine' than some group claiming to be the descendants of the Etruscans. This zioprop works only on the ignorant.
2. Even if, which I am not conceding, only admitting as a far-fetched hypothesis, you were the descendants of the tiny tribe that left NO cultural traces behind it except the Torah, your claim to 'return' after 2,000 years would be laughable. It is not laughable only because it has caused such misery and a veritable genocide to the local population.
Zionism is the 19th century plague that continues to decimate the world in the 21st century.
Dave wrote :'The Jews were the first ones to be called Palestinians by the Romams'.
Dave Dave , Dave . My Man , If I were you I would have just stick to my Hasbra sheet and would not try to be innovative . Even if what you say is the truth , and that is stretching it , it means the blue eyes blond hair racist Jewish Khazari invadors are murdering the true owners of the land ,that may or may have not been a Jew 2000 years ago , but converted to Islam and Christianity .
Dave - I highly recommend that you go and read your history before you consider all those who immigrated from all over the world to Israel as being Semites. As Mojgan said, many people converted to Judaism and no the blond and blue hair Polish were not the original inhabitants of Palestine nor are they semits.
By the way I think the world is no longer buying off on this Semite vs. Anti-Semite argument. Israel's barbaric act have demonstrated what it is all about.
Once again say 'bad' things about the rouge genocidal parasite state and you are labeled an anti-semite. I agree with he first post, I hope the rest of us learn 'no mercy' when dealing with evil.
page: 1
davidJan 30th, 2009 - 10:43:10
this article just had to say anti-semetic!!!!! Is disagreeing with israel policy or military engagement anti-semetic!!!! If the media and Israel continue to have a double standard as far as jewish interests vs anybody elses..... well I will become anti semetic. Hardly anyone is saying great israel good job at killing palestinians and lots are pisses about it. I see a real problem brewing and in the end Israel and the media will pay because the rest of us outnumber you 90-1. You wont be trying to convince us you are the chosen ones or your right and we are wrong then you will beg to be forgiven...... I hope we learn by your example and give no mercy. But maybe you will start to listen to the other nine people in the room and we will get beyond this. Seriously the bully needs to watch his back people are really pissed the whole world is becoming poor so we relate to the palestinians. Look thru history and see what happens when the poor have nothing left to lose.
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