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Turkish PM: Israeli Election Results Paint 'Very Dark Picture'
http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsD etails.aspx?id=74039&language=en
14/02/2009
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an interview with
Reuters and two Turkish newspapers late on Friday, said the results of
the Israeli elections this week had "painted a very dark picture" for
the future of Middle East peace.
Erdogan urged the next Israeli government to look at how it conducted
policies and actions towards the Palestinians and to lift what he
called an embargo on the Palestinians. He said Israel's tough stance
against the Palestinians was failing.
"Unfortunately we have seen that the (Israeli) people have voted for
these (rightist) parties and that makes me a bit sad," Erdogan said of
the Israeli election result. "Unfortunately the election has painted a
very dark picture."
"With the ceasefire the embargo should be lifted. The Palestinian
people should be freed from an open-air prison they are living in right
now, this is against human rights," he said.
In a phone call expected soon with US President Barack Obama, Erdogan
said he would urge him to take a different approach to the Middle East
than the Bush administration. "I am expecting President Obama to be the
voice of the voiceless and the protector of the unprotected," he said.
Erdogan again defended his criticism of Israeli authorities. "We have
to distinguish between two things - the Israeli people and the Israeli
government. I say the same to my people. I see anti-Semitism as a crime
against humanity," Erdogan said. "I have also said that while
anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity, Islamophobia is also a crime
against humanity. I have said that the Jewish people should take part
in fighting this kind of prejudice," he said.
However Turkey's fierce censure of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip
will not end its role as a peace mediator in the region, Tayyip Erdogan
said.
"I don't think that way... Turkey is a strong country that has a
(unique) international position," said Erdogan, speaking on his plane
while returning to Ankara from a campaign trip to Sivas. "We were not
the ones who wanted this negotiations role. In negotiations between
Syria and Israel both countries wanted Turkey to be the mediator, this
is why we took part in it. The same happened with the Israeli and
Pakistani talks."
He said critics misunderstood Turkish foreign policy if they thought
the government was siding with Hamas or was against Israel. Turkey
wanted peace in the region and was defending the helpless, in this case
the civilians in Gaza, he said.
Meanwhile Turkey's foreign ministry has protested to Israel over a
senior Israeli general's remarks criticizing Turkey. The ministry said
it summoned Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy on Saturday to discuss
comments made Feb. 10 by Israel's Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi.
Turkish media said the Israeli general accused Turkey of massacring
Armenians, oppressing Kurds and occupying Cyprus. Turkey's military
said the remarks "cannot be accepted under any condition" and "can harm
national interests between the two countries."
http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsD etails.aspx?id=74039&language=en
14/02/2009
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an interview with
Reuters and two Turkish newspapers late on Friday, said the results of
the Israeli elections this week had "painted a very dark picture" for
the future of Middle East peace.
Erdogan urged the next Israeli government to look at how it conducted
policies and actions towards the Palestinians and to lift what he
called an embargo on the Palestinians. He said Israel's tough stance
against the Palestinians was failing.
"Unfortunately we have seen that the (Israeli) people have voted for
these (rightist) parties and that makes me a bit sad," Erdogan said of
the Israeli election result. "Unfortunately the election has painted a
very dark picture."
"With the ceasefire the embargo should be lifted. The Palestinian
people should be freed from an open-air prison they are living in right
now, this is against human rights," he said.
In a phone call expected soon with US President Barack Obama, Erdogan
said he would urge him to take a different approach to the Middle East
than the Bush administration. "I am expecting President Obama to be the
voice of the voiceless and the protector of the unprotected," he said.
Erdogan again defended his criticism of Israeli authorities. "We have
to distinguish between two things - the Israeli people and the Israeli
government. I say the same to my people. I see anti-Semitism as a crime
against humanity," Erdogan said. "I have also said that while
anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity, Islamophobia is also a crime
against humanity. I have said that the Jewish people should take part
in fighting this kind of prejudice," he said.
However Turkey's fierce censure of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip
will not end its role as a peace mediator in the region, Tayyip Erdogan
said.
"I don't think that way... Turkey is a strong country that has a
(unique) international position," said Erdogan, speaking on his plane
while returning to Ankara from a campaign trip to Sivas. "We were not
the ones who wanted this negotiations role. In negotiations between
Syria and Israel both countries wanted Turkey to be the mediator, this
is why we took part in it. The same happened with the Israeli and
Pakistani talks."
He said critics misunderstood Turkish foreign policy if they thought
the government was siding with Hamas or was against Israel. Turkey
wanted peace in the region and was defending the helpless, in this case
the civilians in Gaza, he said.
Meanwhile Turkey's foreign ministry has protested to Israel over a
senior Israeli general's remarks criticizing Turkey. The ministry said
it summoned Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy on Saturday to discuss
comments made Feb. 10 by Israel's Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi.
Turkish media said the Israeli general accused Turkey of massacring
Armenians, oppressing Kurds and occupying Cyprus. Turkey's military
said the remarks "cannot be accepted under any condition" and "can harm
national interests between the two countries."