Two days after the Turkish press reported that Israeli diplomats would not be invited to Prime Minister Erdoğan’s traditional iftar (breaking the Ramadan fast) dinner, Erdoğan showed that he may stand against tolerance but he does not stand against terrorism: He made Khalid Mishaal, the leader of the most militant faction in Hamas, his personal guest at an iftar dinner.
President Obama describes Erdoğan as one of the five foreign leaders with whom he is friendliest. Given Erdoğan’s anti-American and anti-Semitic rants, and his repeated support for not only Hamas terrorists, but also an Al Qaeda financier, perhaps it is time for Obama to describe why he embraces Erdoğan above most others. Then, again, perhaps it’s time for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and the other members of the Congressional Turkey Caucus to also explain against such a backdrop why they also shill for such an anti-American, anti-Semitic leader.
And perhaps it’s also time for the U.S. Congress to ask why Obama is diverting helicopters and equipment so sorely needed to protect American troops in Afghanistan to Turkey for Turkey’s supposed fight against terrorism, when Turkey’s prime minister is so blatant in his support for terrorism–so long as the terrorists kill Americans and Jews rather than Turks.
Another great post, Michael. Now if only we could get America's Jewish establishment to turn its attention away from both defending against the absent "Nazi threat" and assisting Turkey in avoiding condemnation by Congress for genocide against the Armenians and instead focus on the real anti-Israel Islamic threat coming from Hussein Obama's Muslim buddy Erdogan maybe that would be a reason to toss them some coins.
Agree fully. This alone would be sufficient to toss Obama into the garbage. And there are so many other reasons.
Did Erdogan illegally occupy surrounding territories? Did Erdogan murder civil activists? And did Erdogan perform countless war crimes against the people of Palestine? The short answer is no. And before calling the Armenian tragedy a genocide please research both sides of the story, as the Armenians themselves were not innocent of heinous war crimes.
Does Liam Alperen Oktay think that he is referring to Israel? What surrounding territories has Israel illegally occupied? What "civil activists" (terrorists?) has Israel killed? Who are the people of "Palestine" that Oktay refers to? The name "Palestine" was synonymous with "land of the Jews," and the name "Palestinian" was synonymous with "Jew" from the time that the Roman Emperor Hadrian, in 135 A.D., after defeating the last Jewish rebellion under Ba Kochba, changed the name of Judea to "Palestina." That is why Great Britain, after World War I, was granted the "Palestine Mandate" to be the"homeland of the Jews." nCalling Arabs "Palestinians," with all the phony history and propaganda, is a consequence of the founding of the "Palestine Liberation Organization" (P.L.O.) in Cairo in 1964, by those haters of the Jews, Gamel Nasser, ruler of Egypt, and the Soviet Union.
171 official Israeli settlements and 101 informal outposts on Palestinian land. 9 activists killed on the mavi marmara, for which no apology has been made. The people who resided in Palestine before the arrival of the Israeli state following the defeat of the Ottoman empire. I believe hatred of jews is wrong, however disapproval of oppressive leaders is the least that should be shown.
The Young Turk triumvirate of Talaat, Enver and Jamal, all government Ministers, responded to sporadic revolutionary activity on the part of vigilantes by eliminating the entire Christian population of Eastern Anatolia. There are numerous peaceful Palestinians living comfortably in Israel. Israel does not target Palestinians per se, only those who attack her citizens. The Young Turks did not make that distinction! Numerous righteous Turks saved the lives of Armenians and other Christians while numerous Armenians and other Christians who were not threatening the Ottoman state in any way, were killed nevertheless. Israel's treatment of Palestinians is much more humane that of the Young Turks toward its Christian subjects.
Then why are there numerous accounts of kilings of children and women? are they also attacking Israel? And they did not eliminate the entire christian population of eastern anatolia there are still thousands living there today they were actually relocated from their homeland and due to severe shortages, bandit attacks and the effects of a world war on a nations ability to care for its people many died, this is true. But there is no hard base evidence to say this was a complete attempt to wipe out Armenian Christians. such acts are completely anti Islamic , which was the religion dominant in government at the time.
My grandfather, great-grandfather and great uncles were "relocated" upon orders of Provincial Governor Dr. Mehmet Reshid to a place not on this earth by means of disembowelment by a man, who later became the local parliamentary representative of the Turkish Republic, and his gang of brigands. Great-grandmother, aunts and children were put on rafts and drowned in the Tigris. Dr. Reshid commandeered grandparents' home with all its furnishings while great-grandparents' home was converted into residences for top German military brass. Talaat Pasha was communicating with Dr. Reshid many times a day by telegraph while this was transpiring.
The Israelis are not targeting women and children but are targeting residences from which rockets are sent to kill and maim Israelis.
Shameless ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL in every opportunity these Turks! And pseudo support for the Palestinians. In reality this is not love for the Palestinians, but simply hate of Jews. Not to mention Erdogan's recent achievements : Continuation of the Kurdish Genocide, making Turkey a world record holder as jailer of journalists and innocent human rights activists. Not to mention mass jailing of Turkish Army Secularist Generals for political revenge purposes. Oktay : Look yourself in the mirror before even daring to judge Israel.
Excuse me these turks? I do not deny tragedies occured during this major conflict and yes atrocities were inflicted against both sides, however in order to call this a genocide, a lot of evidence is needed. Erdogan offered to open a joint research into the tragedies from both turkish and armenian archives, yet armenia refused. And hatred of any people is pure ignorance i do not hate jews christians or any religion, as it is against my own to do so. I have lived in Turkey there is no Kurdish genocide, I don't know wher you got that information. There is a war against PKK militants who aim to create their own kurdish nation through force. in anyone's eyes, this is unacceptable. And there is corruption in many nations, as I'm sure everyone is aware, however Turkey is curently fighting against this corruption, as shown by the current reconstruction of moadishu somalia.
I'm shocked to learn that Turkey's Islamic party is Islamic. What a surprise. Guess what, Egypt's Islamic party is probably Islamic too, and Assad's successor will be al-Qaeda. That God for Obama's deft foreign policy.
Liam, Turkey has been keeping a full blockade against Armenia for some 20 years, whereas Israel actually ships food and other necessities into Gaza all the time. Israel's blockade of Gaza is only partial. The thugs on the Mavi Marmara were not peaceful "civil activists." They were jihadist fanatics who attacked the Israeli naval commandos who legally boarded the ship to enforce a legal blockade. As to "occupied territories," Turkey occupies most of historic Armenia and part of historic Georgia as well as the Hatay, which was inhabited by Arabs and Armenians.
thankyou interesting article
But right now Israel is constructing walls around illegal settlements placed on Palestinian land. That is breaking international law, and although many Palestinians may feel inferior in relation to Israels superior economy and military, this is no excuse to excuse war crimes and illegal occupation.