EU-DIGEST

Turkey/Israel - Turkish PM admonishes Israel president over Gaza - "You kill people", Erdogan tells Peres - by JOHN DANISZEWSKI and MATT MOORE

Turkey's prime minister stalked off the stage at the Davos World Economic Forum red-faced Thursday after reproaching Israel's president over the Gaza offensive by saying "You kill people." The packed audience, which included President Barack Obama's close adviser Valerie Jarrett, appeared stunned as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli President Shimon Peres raised their voices and traded accusations. Peres was passionate in his defense of Israel's 23-day offensive against Hamas militants, launched in reaction to eight years of rocket fire aimed at Israeli territory. As he spoke, Peres often turned toward Erdogan, who in his remarks had criticized the Israeli blockade of Gaza, saying it was an "open air prison, isolated from the rest of the world" and referred to the Palestinian death toll of about 1,300, more than half of those civilians.

"You kill people," Erdogan told the 85-year-old Israeli leader. "I remember the children who died on beaches. I remember two former prime ministers who said they felt very happy when they were able to enter Palestine on tanks."

When Erdogan was asked to stop, he angrily stalked off, leaving fellow panelists U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon and Arab League Secretary Amr Moussa."When it comes to killing, you know it too well," the Turkish leader said. When the moderator tried to cut short Erdogan's remarks, saying it was past time to adjourn for dinner, he answered in frustration, "Don't interrupt me. You are not allowing me to speak. "He then said: "I will not come to Davos again." Ultimately, Erdogan stressed he left not because of a dispute with Peres but because he was not given time to respond to the Israeli leader's remarks. Erdogan also complained that Peres had 25 minutes while he was only given 12 minutes. "I did not target at all in any way the Israeli people, President Peres, or the Jewish people," Erdogan told a news conference afterward. "I am a prime minister, a leader who has specifically expressly stated that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity," he said.

Labels: Erdogan, Gaza, Israel, Peres, Turkey

Turkey: Mr. Erdogan received the benefit of the doubt from the electorate, but not more than that - by Rick Morren

Turkey’s election results have become part of some interesting discussions about the state of secularism in that country.

Looking at the EU, it also supposedly is secular, but it still has a variety of Christian Democratic parties and Governments in control. So with Turkey in mind the question can be asked: "what makes Muslims any different from Christians when it comes to respecting secularism, democracy and an omnipresent God as one package?" In today’s world, tradition, culture, history, or track-records are weak arguments to separate these two major religions on this issue.

The recent elections in Turkey were part of a well established democratic process, and no doubt, so will be the upcoming Presidential election. Mr. Erdogan’s party won the general elections fair and square and should be given the benefit of the doubt.

One thing can be sure,every move Mr.Erdogan and his government make will be closely watched by friend and foe alike. Turkey is one of the very few, if not the only Muslim Nation which has chosen a secular and democratic road to the future. Any deviation from that course will result in turmoil for the whole region and particularly for Europe. The EU must make sure they continuously keep reminding Mr. Erdogan of this.

Labels: Erdogan, EU, Islam, Secularism, Turkey

The Independent Institute: Turkey’s Crescent: by Alvaro Vargas Llosa

Turkey’s Crescent: by Alvaro Vargas Llosa

Is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s recently re-elected prime minister, a closet fundamentalist waiting for the right opportunity to dismantle the legacy of Kemal Ataturk, the architect of his country’s secular republic? Or is he the man who will set a model for the Muslim world by reconciling Islam with Western-style rule of law, the separation of state and religion, the market economy, and the European Union, which he wants Turkey to join?

Labels: Elections, Erdogan, Turkey

European Manichaeism, the End of Turkey, and the Subversion of Europe - by Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

In an earlier article concerning the 50-year celebration of European treaties and reunification efforts, we characterized European establishments as Manichaean in terms of contents and form, predicting a total failure in the ill-conceived and malignantly-executed patchwork of grandeur and arrogance. The recent developments in Turkey, the first turn of the presidential vote, the General Staff statement, and the aberrational stand European authorities have taken corroborate our verdict. This Europe has no future.

The quasi-analphabetic thugs of Erdogan intend to turn the illuminated, laic, secular and republican Turkey, built with great sacrifice and unique vision by Kemal Ataturk and his followers, to a bogus-Islamic realm of vulgar barbarism that will end up in an obscurantist, backward theocracy like Egypt, Syria, Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Labels: Erdogan, EU, Turkey