We are so proud that we will not apologize, Mr. Safire!

William Safire wrote in his column in The New York Times on Thursday about the visit of the Turkish Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) to his office.Safire quoted Turkish businessmen as saying that, “You were a great friend of Turkey and your articles are published in our newspapers. A couple of misunderstandings should not damage the relations. You know, we are so proud that we shall not apologize. But Turkey, which is the only secular Moslem democrat country, is in favor of interests of U.S. as a model for Iraq.” Safire said that he was in favor of following the policy of “Forgive but do not forget” in the Turco-U.S. relations. �