EGYPT: Erdogan hailed as hero
By recently walking off the stage after a clash with the Israeli president over the Gaza Strip at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was viewed as a hero among Arabs who accuse their own leaders of not standing up to the Jewish state.
Erdogan was provoked when the moderator interrupted him while he was responding to comments made by Israeli President Shimon Peres, who defended Israel's military incursion into Gaza. Outraged at being cut off, Erdogan gathered his papers and walked out, saying: “And so Davos is over for me from now on.”
He had earlier told Peres: “When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill.”
Erodogan’s reaction was hailed as heroic by observers in Egypt. Many wondered why Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, who was among the participants at the Davos meeting, failed to react or challenge Peres the way the Turkish prime minister did.
Prominent Egyptian writer Fahmi Howeidi was quoted on the official website of the Muslim Brotherhood as saying: “Erdogan exposed Amr Moussa, who should have walked out of the session as well so that Erdogan would not appear more concerned about the Palestinians than him. However, Moussa appeared more at peace with the situation.”
Political analyst Amr El-Choubaki criticized Moussa’s attitude in the independent El-Masry El-Youm daily, contending that: “It exposed the attitude of the Arab world and the Arab league, which always react. We applaud Erdogan and sympathize with him without taking a similar action.”
Political-science scholar Hassan Nafae wrote in El-Masry El-Youm:
“After watching this exciting scene, I could not stop comparing the reaction of leaders like Erdogan and that of Arab leaders if they were put in similar situations. I did not take too much time to reach the conclusion that there was a huge difference between the two; the comparison comes in disfavor of our leaders. The reason is clear. Our leaders don’t believe in anything anymore except their lust to hold onto their thrones and collect money through illegal channels.”
In Lebanon, Erdogan’s action resonated strongly as well. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad El-Sanioura, whose country is still in a state of animosity with Israel, sent a thank-you message to Erdogan. He wrote:
“We followed with a lot of pride and appreciation the stand that you took during the Davos forum. Your walking out of the meeting, your explicit defense of the Palestinian right and your support of your brothers who were killed unjustly by the Israeli war machinery show your genuineness and commitment to the spirit of fraternity.”
—Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo
Photo: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, left, and President Shimon Peres of Israel on Thursday at a discussion on Gaza in Davos, Switzerland, before the former walked out. Credit: Laurent Gillieron /Keystone/Associated Press
P.S. Get news from Iran, Gaza, Israel and the rest of the Middle East in your mailbox every day. The Los Angeles Times distributes a free daily newsletter with the latest headlines from the Middle East, including the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can subscribe by logging in at the website here, clicking on the box for "L.A. Times updates" and then clicking on the "World: Mideast" box.
There should be more leaders like Turkish PM Erdogan, that aren't afraid to tell the truth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6NMmHqSUzk
The Arab League's Moussa is on the Saudi payroll and is ineffective.
Posted by: Williams | February 25, 2009 at 02:37 PM
The UN resolutions violations are not limited to Gaza, but also in Morocco, see google for ;
" the great affairs in Morocco"
Terrorism is also that of Isreal, they created a false alquaeda in morocco as that of Gaza for the events of may,16, 2003 in casablanca.
Posted by: alami mehdi | February 07, 2009 at 06:36 AM
Levent wrote: Turkey invaded Cyprus to prevent the illegal annexation of the island by Greece.
Cyprus Greek roots date some 3000 years ago. Although Cyprus had numerous masters its majority always remained Greek. The Ottoman Turks invaded Cyprus as late as 1571. (a fate similar to many other Greek islands)
Greeks besides being aboriginals of Cyprus, represented 80% of its population. Practically all Greek islands (population and history wise) did indeed join Greece. Cyprus was the exception due to the British colonial regime. Why does it sound so wrong for Cyprus to join Greece the same way that Crete, Rhodes, the islands of the Ionian sea etc.. did.?
Greece attempted a coup d'état in Cyprus in 1974. It was not the deeds of a democratically elected Greek government but rather an American (CIA) supported dictatorship that attempted the coup against Makarios.
Turkey, England and Greece were the guarantor states of Cyprus. It would be understandable for Turkey to intervene punctually in order to prevent the coup, and then remove its troops.
Instead Turkey occupied the Nothern Part of the island.
About the third of the island inhabitants became refugees in their own island.
The occupied northern part ethnically cleansed from its majority population self-proclaimed itself the Turkish Northern Republic of Cyprus.
Three thousand years of Greek heritage in northern Cyprus was erased by the invading Turks (may sound familiar to aboriginal Anatolians: Assyrians, Armenians, Pontic Greeks - speaking of killings, it seems Turks have won the gold medal, long time ago.. .)
It is a fact that numerous UN resolutions condemned Turkey for its actions.
it is a fact that Turkey brought illegal Anatolian settlers to the occupied part.
It is a fact that numerous UN resolutions condemned the illegal settlers policy.
It is a fact that the self proclaimed occupied northern part has not been recognized by anyone except Ankara.
It is a fact that Turkey (on the Cyprus issue) and Israel (Palestinian issue) jointly are responsible for the 2/3 of the UN resolutions that are not abide by. Turkey and Israel's policies are very similar in that respect.
Turkey's criticism of Israel has indeed a lot to do with the illegal presence of Turkish troops in the occupied North. Before criticizing others and portraying oneself has a hero of human consciousness, read your own bloody history, read the Cyprus related UN resolutions and see the resemblance with the Palestinian ones and think for a moment why are more and more democratic countries recognizing the Armenian genocide (speaking of killings).
Posted by: Kyprianos Aristotle | February 04, 2009 at 07:02 PM
Turkey's criticism of Israel has nothing to do with Turkish military presence in Cyprus. Don't forget that the Turkey intervened to stop Greek Cypriots killing Turkish Cypriots, which went on from 1960's to 1974, and to stop the illegal annexation of Cyprus by Greece. In fact, Turkey's criticism of Israel's Gaza attacks is very much in line with its intervention in Cyprus, both were meant to stop the oppressor.
Posted by: Levent | February 04, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Peace will not come to the region as long as Israel starves the people trapped in the Gaza Ghetto. Peace will not come to the region until the Israeli regime ends apartheid in the West Bank and move all its citizens back to Israel safe and sound inside the pre-'67 borders.
Posted by: James Bowen | February 03, 2009 at 05:29 PM
If Erdogan is truly and genuinely concerned about justice and the international law, I guess his next step would be to remove Turkish troops from Northern Cyprus.
In doing so, he would at last abide by the numerous UN resolutions. It is a fact that Israel and Turkey account for the two thirds of the UN resolutions that are not abide by.
There is no point, criticizing Israel when you basically follow the very same policy of illegal occupation by international law (the self-proclaimed Turkish republic of northern Cyprus has been recognized only by Turkey, attesting of its illegal nature), when you follow the very same policy of bringing in illegal settlers (the settlers from Turkey in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus, outnumber the Turkish Cypriots, while the one third of the island inhabitants, that became refugees following the Turkish invasion have yet to return home).
Posted by: kyprianos aristotle | February 02, 2009 at 05:27 PM
‘Israel wants any ceasefire to include an internationally-enforced arms ban on Hamas, meaning international monitors on Gaza's Egyptian border to stop smuggling, and a complete end to the firing of rockets at Israel from Gaza.’
Source - Tim Butcher in Jerusalem, Telegraph 7 Jan 2008.
While I personally do not like the Jewish Faith or the Zionist zealots, I cannot see why anyone would object to this. So why the conflict and fighting?
I am amazed at the way the UK media and the UN have come out in open and blatant support of the terrorist group Hamas. Do they also support Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda? It appears to me that to provide the Hamas Gaza offensive against Israel with a very large sum of money that is going to be misappropriated to buy weapons and explosives is an act of war against Israel.
It makes one suspicious that the Islamic terror groups intimidatory propaganda of cutting completely innocent people's heads off with a small knife while they are alive and fully conscious of what is being done, and showing this disgusting act on the Internet has thoroughly intimidated and cowed the feminist UK media who dare not speak against these people for fear that they will be kidnapped and executed themselves to be used for further intimidation.
As for the UN, it now seems to be in the hands of the Moslems, and hence indirectly, the Islamic fundamentalist.
During the last century’s great war the vicious and blood soaked nazis started by attacking the Israelis, now it is the Islamic fundamentalist. Will the next great war this century be between the Islamic East and the West?
If so then it will soon be time to choose sides, and I will be for the Western democracies and science, not for an Eastern medieval religion that has spread through intimidation, fear, and violence.
The discrepancy in casualty rates...
The discrepancy in casualty rates is because of the different attitudes of both parties. While Israel prepared shelters, early warning systems, hospitals and ambulances over the last decade, the Hamas leadership saw advantages in creating and sustaining a large number of civilian casualties to create outrage against Israel in Gaza and in the Arab world.
A Truthful Account...
http://www.praguepost.com/news/400-israel-rep-speaks-on-gaza.html
Posted by: Sage99 | February 02, 2009 at 08:38 AM