Turkish PM Erdoğan’s Davos actions divides opinions
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 02, 2009 00:00
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s outburst in Israeli President Shimon Peres’ face during the World Economic Forum has echoed from the Middle East to the United States. While some Daily News readers argue that Erdoğan moved Turkey closer to the radicals’ camp with Hamas and Hezbollah, others praise his stance as ’honorable’ and ’courageous’.
GAZA: As journalists we question the logic of Turkey to adhere to the new axis: Turkey-Iran-Hamas-Hizbullah.
It is evident that Messrs. Gül, Erdoğan and their followers have adopted the anti-Jewish and Anti Israeli attitude of the [expletive] from Iran. The question is what is Turkey going to gain?
It surely has already, and will sustain heavy damage in commerce, politics, art, military and more.
Herman Joshua
Erdoğan's honorable attitude: Let’s praise the honorable attitude of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In substance, his honorable intervention has amazed Mr. Perez and Israel, who are used to hearing only what delights their hearts in spite of the terrible and awful blood shed.
Killing defenseless men and innocent women and children is hideous conduct, which no one in the world can accept. Isn’t it time civility and wisdom prevailed in Israel?
If the world goes on to ignore these kinds of shocking, and destructive conflicts, life will be uncomfortable, and relationships between states will be exposed to damage and ruin.
Mr. Erdoğan was right to make his emotion public because what has happened in Gaza is really shocking. This bravery in expressing the truth sustaining Allah’s justice is enough to make him own and win not only Turkish hearts and support, but also those of any supporter of freedom and rights in the world. What he said pleased some, bewildered and disgraced others in spite of their rancor. He did this to please Allah.
Congratulations Turkish people. Congratulations to the Arabic world and all the nobles of the world for this honorable attitude professed by one of its brave men that history will remember for generations to come.
Belkaid Abderrahmane, Morocco
Erdoğan in Davos: On one hand I do think it right that Israel hears what a lot of the world thinks about its operations in Gaza but most are too afraid or diplomatic to put in plain speak. But ...
Once again the Turkish PM has shown that he lacks any awareness of how to behave diplomatically or with any degree of statesmanship. He continues to ruin the respect that people do have for Turkey.
No one has mentioned how he continues to court his buddy from Sudan, a country where hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost and continue to be lost through religious genocide. These double standards completely reveal the Turkish PM's plans for where Turkey is headed.
When you need meat, call a butcher. When you need a new shower, call a plumber. When you need a statesman, don't send an imam!
Martin Jones, UK
Brilliant Mr. Erdoğan:I was very much impressed by Mr. Tayyip Erdoğan’s rejoinder to Mr. Peres in Davos.
Mr Erdoğan was speaking forcefully and rebutting the remarks by Mr. Peres. Isn't it ironic to award a Nobel Prize to a man who is at present President of Israel and the very man that witnessed the atrocities committed by the so called moral, ethical and highly professional IDF. Mr. Peres was trying to tell Mr. Erdoğan how he would feel if hundreds of missiles were being fired on Istanbul. That was a ridiculous analogy for the simple reason that these tin pot unguided missiles on Sderot may have killed not more than 20 in the last 8 years. The force used by Israel was disproportionate and Israel’s military deliberately targeted homes and apartments killing more than 1,100 Palestinians. This was, by all definitions, a war crime.
Israel very cunningly chose a time to "fix" Hamas when George Bush was in his last few weeks of his lame-duck presidency. Mr. Bush, true to his anti-Muslim policies, did not dither to accord his full support to Mr. Olmert and Ehud Barak. I feel very proud of Mr. Erdoğan, who spoke of his conscience and he not only represented Turkey but whole Islamic world by forcefully and very eloquently putting forward before the heads of states and prime ministers of many countries of the world about the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza.
Dr Bashir Ahmed Solangi, UK
Well done Mr.Erdoğan!: In Pakistan people do not have much inside view of Turkish domestic politics but Pakistanis have a lot of respect for Turkey because Pakistan and Turkey have always had good cultural and economic ties.
What has been expected from Arab heads of state has been fulfilled by Erdoğan. We salute the Turkish prime minister for his moral courage and principled stand on Gaza
It is understood that Turkey is a secular state therefore "one spiritual book" cannot hold much esteem in the eyes of many psychologists and psychiatrists who are steeped in Freud, Jung or Maslow. Human history and the crimes committed in human history is not a mere game of psychology.
I am amazed to see that Eardoğan has been accused of having an inferiority complex on account of his class trappings. Western reason is not a panacea and the westerners are not the only rational people on the face of the earth. Killing children and then defending the acts of genocide and collecting applause from the audience is nowhere in the zone of human rationality. Well done! Mr. Erdoğan. Pakistan is proud of you.
Rizwan Akhtar, Pakistan.
Prime Minister: As an American citizen I was uplifted to see the Turkish prime minister stand up to the lies of Perez. I have visited your beautiful country twice before and I am planning another. This time it will be with the satisfaction to know that Turkish politicians have the moral fortitude that ours sorely lack. Thank you Mr. Erdogan.
Rizk, US
Thank you: To the great Turkish nation, I have never been prouder of our northern neighbor than today. I would love to shake hands with each Turkish citizen in behalf of the Syrian people. Thank you Mr. Erdoğan, for getting our voice heard, and thanks to the Turkish people who Mr Erdoğan represents.
A Syrian citizen
Letter of thanks to Mr. Erdoğan for his courage: I would like to thank Prime Minister Erdoğan for his courage in standing up to Israeli politicians, and declaring the killing of Palestinian children as unacceptable. Such integrity is rare in politicians when it comes to Israel, whom they criticize in private, but coddle in public. Many an American president tells the truth to Israel only after leaving office when it no longer matters. I would also like to thank the Turkish people who gave Mr. Erdoğan the welcome he deserved at the airport.
You do not need to be a supporter of Hamas to think that something is terribly cruel and criminal about the carnage and destruction Israel left in Gaza.
Orayb Najjar, US
Long live Erdogan!: I am writing to express my thanks and appreciation to PM Erdoğan, and the brotherly Turkish people for all the efforts that Turkey has made over the last couple of years to help establish peace in the Middle East.
I would also like also to thank PM Erdoğan, in particular, for his honest, fair, and firm stance on the recent war on Gaza. Extremely rare are those leaders who can show the same level of bravery and eloquence that PM Erdoğan showed at the Davos forum (and several other world venues).
It is such an honor to listen to PM Erdoğan speak. His honest and wise words reinforce Turkey's image as a serious world player, and an impartial broker in the Middle East peace process.
Long live PM Erdoğan! Long live Turkey! Long live the Turkish people!
It will be a great pleasure for myself and my family to spend our next vacation in beautiful Turkey, and to buy Turkish goods!
Mohamed, Canada.
PM in Davos: First I love Turkey, the people, history, ruins and foods. Wish I could spend more time visiting every square meter of the country. Someday I wish to have a second home in Turkey. I am a proud American who has visited Turkey four times in the last nine years. That said:
What I find very disturbing about what happened in Davos is that the PM does not look at the situation Israel was in before the war started. Why does he not acknowledge how many rockets that were shot from Gaza to Israel before Israel responded? Would Turkey not respond if the PKK were sending rockets to Turkey on hourly bases? Just because Israel has the biggest guns to respond, does it make what Hamas does right?
Hamas knew Israel would respond, they were waiting to say, look what those bad Jews are doing to innocent people. Hamas are [expletive] hiding behind women, children, and sacred mosque. Just because Hamas uses residential building, mosque, etc to shoot the rockets, does this mean Israel should not respond? It just seems that people in the Middle East do not want to accept Israel was given the land for Jewish people.
The fact that Palestine has never accepted this is the problem, why blame Israel? The PM has shown his true colors. Since his election I have said he is a wolf in sheep clothing and the jacket is coming off? Wake up and see his true colors in siding with Hamas.
What country has not made a mistake? One does not have to agree with everything that a president or PM might say or do, as I sure do not always agree. In my heart I know the American people want peace for all mankind, and that might be our biggest fault, trying for others to have the freedom, liberty we experience.
W.A., US
Thank you Mr Prime Minister!: Having been born and raised in Pakistan, I have always had a great deal of love for Turkey. I have now been an American citizen for 15 years. Yesterday I saw Mr. Erdoğan walk out of a forum in Davos where Israel's president was given carte blanche to say whatever he wanted in a rather loud and [expletive] way without any opportunity for a rebuttal. I congratulate Mr. Erdoğan for not simply "taking it" and refusing to be a part of a one-sided conversation where the aggressor gets to speak both for himself and for his victims. Since when is that a good recipe for justice?
Let's not forget that reporters were not allowed in Gaza during Israel's massive attacks on civilians. How can we take the word of Israel about what went on in Gaza, without any independent corroboration? The UN reps and other agencies, on the ground, certainly have different stories.
Mara Ahmed, US
The Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review submissions’ guidelines do not allow hate speech or remarks that violate Turkish press law. Such language in comments were either redacted or omitted.
It is evident that Messrs. Gül, Erdoğan and their followers have adopted the anti-Jewish and Anti Israeli attitude of the [expletive] from Iran. The question is what is Turkey going to gain?
It surely has already, and will sustain heavy damage in commerce, politics, art, military and more.
Herman Joshua
Erdoğan's honorable attitude: Let’s praise the honorable attitude of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In substance, his honorable intervention has amazed Mr. Perez and Israel, who are used to hearing only what delights their hearts in spite of the terrible and awful blood shed.
Killing defenseless men and innocent women and children is hideous conduct, which no one in the world can accept. Isn’t it time civility and wisdom prevailed in Israel?
If the world goes on to ignore these kinds of shocking, and destructive conflicts, life will be uncomfortable, and relationships between states will be exposed to damage and ruin.
Mr. Erdoğan was right to make his emotion public because what has happened in Gaza is really shocking. This bravery in expressing the truth sustaining Allah’s justice is enough to make him own and win not only Turkish hearts and support, but also those of any supporter of freedom and rights in the world. What he said pleased some, bewildered and disgraced others in spite of their rancor. He did this to please Allah.
Congratulations Turkish people. Congratulations to the Arabic world and all the nobles of the world for this honorable attitude professed by one of its brave men that history will remember for generations to come.
Belkaid Abderrahmane, Morocco
Erdoğan in Davos: On one hand I do think it right that Israel hears what a lot of the world thinks about its operations in Gaza but most are too afraid or diplomatic to put in plain speak. But ...
Once again the Turkish PM has shown that he lacks any awareness of how to behave diplomatically or with any degree of statesmanship. He continues to ruin the respect that people do have for Turkey.
No one has mentioned how he continues to court his buddy from Sudan, a country where hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost and continue to be lost through religious genocide. These double standards completely reveal the Turkish PM's plans for where Turkey is headed.
When you need meat, call a butcher. When you need a new shower, call a plumber. When you need a statesman, don't send an imam!
Martin Jones, UK
Brilliant Mr. Erdoğan:I was very much impressed by Mr. Tayyip Erdoğan’s rejoinder to Mr. Peres in Davos.
Mr Erdoğan was speaking forcefully and rebutting the remarks by Mr. Peres. Isn't it ironic to award a Nobel Prize to a man who is at present President of Israel and the very man that witnessed the atrocities committed by the so called moral, ethical and highly professional IDF. Mr. Peres was trying to tell Mr. Erdoğan how he would feel if hundreds of missiles were being fired on Istanbul. That was a ridiculous analogy for the simple reason that these tin pot unguided missiles on Sderot may have killed not more than 20 in the last 8 years. The force used by Israel was disproportionate and Israel’s military deliberately targeted homes and apartments killing more than 1,100 Palestinians. This was, by all definitions, a war crime.
Israel very cunningly chose a time to "fix" Hamas when George Bush was in his last few weeks of his lame-duck presidency. Mr. Bush, true to his anti-Muslim policies, did not dither to accord his full support to Mr. Olmert and Ehud Barak. I feel very proud of Mr. Erdoğan, who spoke of his conscience and he not only represented Turkey but whole Islamic world by forcefully and very eloquently putting forward before the heads of states and prime ministers of many countries of the world about the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza.
Dr Bashir Ahmed Solangi, UK
Well done Mr.Erdoğan!: In Pakistan people do not have much inside view of Turkish domestic politics but Pakistanis have a lot of respect for Turkey because Pakistan and Turkey have always had good cultural and economic ties.
What has been expected from Arab heads of state has been fulfilled by Erdoğan. We salute the Turkish prime minister for his moral courage and principled stand on Gaza
It is understood that Turkey is a secular state therefore "one spiritual book" cannot hold much esteem in the eyes of many psychologists and psychiatrists who are steeped in Freud, Jung or Maslow. Human history and the crimes committed in human history is not a mere game of psychology.
I am amazed to see that Eardoğan has been accused of having an inferiority complex on account of his class trappings. Western reason is not a panacea and the westerners are not the only rational people on the face of the earth. Killing children and then defending the acts of genocide and collecting applause from the audience is nowhere in the zone of human rationality. Well done! Mr. Erdoğan. Pakistan is proud of you.
Rizwan Akhtar, Pakistan.
Prime Minister: As an American citizen I was uplifted to see the Turkish prime minister stand up to the lies of Perez. I have visited your beautiful country twice before and I am planning another. This time it will be with the satisfaction to know that Turkish politicians have the moral fortitude that ours sorely lack. Thank you Mr. Erdogan.
Rizk, US
Thank you: To the great Turkish nation, I have never been prouder of our northern neighbor than today. I would love to shake hands with each Turkish citizen in behalf of the Syrian people. Thank you Mr. Erdoğan, for getting our voice heard, and thanks to the Turkish people who Mr Erdoğan represents.
A Syrian citizen
Letter of thanks to Mr. Erdoğan for his courage: I would like to thank Prime Minister Erdoğan for his courage in standing up to Israeli politicians, and declaring the killing of Palestinian children as unacceptable. Such integrity is rare in politicians when it comes to Israel, whom they criticize in private, but coddle in public. Many an American president tells the truth to Israel only after leaving office when it no longer matters. I would also like to thank the Turkish people who gave Mr. Erdoğan the welcome he deserved at the airport.
You do not need to be a supporter of Hamas to think that something is terribly cruel and criminal about the carnage and destruction Israel left in Gaza.
Orayb Najjar, US
Long live Erdogan!: I am writing to express my thanks and appreciation to PM Erdoğan, and the brotherly Turkish people for all the efforts that Turkey has made over the last couple of years to help establish peace in the Middle East.
I would also like also to thank PM Erdoğan, in particular, for his honest, fair, and firm stance on the recent war on Gaza. Extremely rare are those leaders who can show the same level of bravery and eloquence that PM Erdoğan showed at the Davos forum (and several other world venues).
It is such an honor to listen to PM Erdoğan speak. His honest and wise words reinforce Turkey's image as a serious world player, and an impartial broker in the Middle East peace process.
Long live PM Erdoğan! Long live Turkey! Long live the Turkish people!
It will be a great pleasure for myself and my family to spend our next vacation in beautiful Turkey, and to buy Turkish goods!
Mohamed, Canada.
PM in Davos: First I love Turkey, the people, history, ruins and foods. Wish I could spend more time visiting every square meter of the country. Someday I wish to have a second home in Turkey. I am a proud American who has visited Turkey four times in the last nine years. That said:
What I find very disturbing about what happened in Davos is that the PM does not look at the situation Israel was in before the war started. Why does he not acknowledge how many rockets that were shot from Gaza to Israel before Israel responded? Would Turkey not respond if the PKK were sending rockets to Turkey on hourly bases? Just because Israel has the biggest guns to respond, does it make what Hamas does right?
Hamas knew Israel would respond, they were waiting to say, look what those bad Jews are doing to innocent people. Hamas are [expletive] hiding behind women, children, and sacred mosque. Just because Hamas uses residential building, mosque, etc to shoot the rockets, does this mean Israel should not respond? It just seems that people in the Middle East do not want to accept Israel was given the land for Jewish people.
The fact that Palestine has never accepted this is the problem, why blame Israel? The PM has shown his true colors. Since his election I have said he is a wolf in sheep clothing and the jacket is coming off? Wake up and see his true colors in siding with Hamas.
What country has not made a mistake? One does not have to agree with everything that a president or PM might say or do, as I sure do not always agree. In my heart I know the American people want peace for all mankind, and that might be our biggest fault, trying for others to have the freedom, liberty we experience.
W.A., US
Thank you Mr Prime Minister!: Having been born and raised in Pakistan, I have always had a great deal of love for Turkey. I have now been an American citizen for 15 years. Yesterday I saw Mr. Erdoğan walk out of a forum in Davos where Israel's president was given carte blanche to say whatever he wanted in a rather loud and [expletive] way without any opportunity for a rebuttal. I congratulate Mr. Erdoğan for not simply "taking it" and refusing to be a part of a one-sided conversation where the aggressor gets to speak both for himself and for his victims. Since when is that a good recipe for justice?
Let's not forget that reporters were not allowed in Gaza during Israel's massive attacks on civilians. How can we take the word of Israel about what went on in Gaza, without any independent corroboration? The UN reps and other agencies, on the ground, certainly have different stories.
Mara Ahmed, US
The Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review submissions’ guidelines do not allow hate speech or remarks that violate Turkish press law. Such language in comments were either redacted or omitted.