Turkish Forum

Category: News

  • The Travel Advisory: Israeli tourism to Turkey plunges

    The Travel Advisory: Israeli tourism to Turkey plunges


    Jan. 31, 2009 Mark Feldman , THE JERUSALEM POST
    For many years, Turkey has been the most popular tourist destination for Israelis. Turkish resorts from Antalya to Bodrum have offered us first-class service at reasonable rates. At first, it was the casinos that attracted the tourists. Then, when the Muslim government closed them down, the resorts reinvented themselves. Luxury locations sprang up like mushrooms after the rain. Some resorts stayed traditional, while others became quite exotic, with one modeling itself on the Kremlin and another taking the Titanic as its vision. All exist to spoil tourists with their all-inclusive packages. A two-hour flight takes you to Istanbul. The charms of Istanbul, coupled with an exotic environment, has had Turkish Airlines and a multitude of Turkish charters flying more passengers to Turkey than any other foreign airline. No more. Although Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has since toned down his remarks, saying they were against the government and not the people of Israel, his repeated criticism of Israel during the recent war against Hamas has led to a severe downturn in Israelis flying to Turkey. Erdogan called Operation Cast Lead “a crime against humanity,” deploring what he saw as excessive force and suggesting that Israel be barred from the United Nations. He accused Israel of “perpetrating inhuman actions which would bring it to self-destruction,” adding that “Allah will sooner or later punish those who transgress the rights of innocents.”

    There have been boycotts from the Israeli consumer in the past, but never on this level. The anger is both deep and palpable. Across the country, travel agents report, Israelis are voting with their feet and avoiding travel to Turkey. Wholesalers report a 70 percent drop in flight bookings, and reservations to the resorts have all but disappeared. Turkish Airlines has also been severely damaged. The national carrier of Turkey is known as an excellent airline with great security. It prides itself on its expansive network with three daily flights to Istanbul that also take passengers to other international destinations. Customers in the past have often flown Turkish Airlines to New York, Cape Town, all over Europe and the Far East. Turkish Airlines has been strident in keeping airfares very competitive and was used by clients seeking inexpensive prices to destinations beyond Istanbul. In fact, Turkish Airlines was quite proud of marketing itself with Istanbul as a hub for close to 100 cities to which it flies outside of Turkey. No more. Travel Agency executives report that clients are willing to pay more and fly another airline rather than transit Istanbul Airport. They view Turkish Airlines as a symbol of the Turkish government. There have been reports that Turkish consumer groups are calling for a boycott on Israeli products. This would obviously damage Israel’s business interests and put companies at risk. Trade between Israel and Turkey in 2008 was close to $3 billion. Over 500,000 Israelis chose to travel to Turkey in 2008. Dropping millions of hard-earned dollars and shekels, they thought the Turkish people were appreciating them. Officials from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism make constant visits to Israel, promoting more and more sites, to encourage the Israeli travel agents to sell more Turkey. We may be a thick-skinned people but when push comes to shove, Israeli consumers, along with their western counterparts, take such criticism and actions seriously. The results in the last few weeks have been surprising. It’s gratifying to see that some principles remain sacrosanct and that the lure of an inexpensive trip is not inviolable. Israeli travelers are electing to take off at the last minute for cities in Europe rather than patronize these resorts. With prices falling dramatically due to the fall in the price of oil, keeping airfares and packages at bargain basement levels, Israelis are choosing to go elsewhere.

    Skiing in the mountains of Turkey is no longer an option. Israeli bloggers are doing their best to keep this issue in the forefront. Keeping in mind that we’re in the middle of the winter and the start of a recession, the question is how long will this anger last? Gauging the intensity of the people writing blogs leads me to believe that it could be a long hard winter. When consumers feel so insulted and an Israeli basketball team is forced to forfeit a game in Ankara due to the unruly and threatening behavior of the crowd, memories remain vivid. El Al stopped flying to Istanbul last year, citing security costs and the inability to make money on the route. Israeli charter companies have also curtailed their flight schedule. This means that until the Turkish government makes amends or warmer weather leads to cooler minds, Istanbul will revert back to Constantinople and be only a pleasant memory for that most demanding client – the Israeli traveler.
    Mark Feldman is the CEO of “Ziontours”, Jerusalem.
    For questions and comments email him at mark.feldman@ziontours.co.il
    This article can also be read at
    https://www.jpost.com/ /servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304644824&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull
    [ Back to the Article ]
    Copyright 1995- 2009 The Jerusalem Post – https://www.jpost.com/

    Dear Mr. Feldman,

    I read your article in the JPost about the economic retraction of the Israelis in regards to their vacation and trade choice of Turkey. May it be, but it is never the one way road. If that is the true attitude of the people of Israel and the government, please announce tomorrow that your defense companies are withdrawing their business deals with the Turkish Military. I don’t think so. Because the money is so sweet in these deals.

    Your writings sounds like what your government wants to say to Turkish government, but won’t say it out loud. At this point, your expression of “when push comes to show” is also true for the people of Turkey. I know that your lobbyists are sending messages to the Turkish government saying that unless what Mr. Erdoğan has said and done is somehow retracted by him or his government, you will support the Armenians in their never ending quest of passing so called “acknowledgment of Armenian genocide” through the American Senate.  So it may be. But, that even, as you might very well know, will not changed the fact that the so called genocide is no more than the exaggerations of Armenians’. They know very well that they “bit the hand that fed them” by revolting against the Ottoman army which they were the soldiers of. If the genocide was true, why rest of the Armenians did not suffer of the same fate.

    My dear friend. No one on these day and time is “special” as a human race, including your people. Everyone has a right to live in peace and prosper through their own abilities, including you, me, people of Palestine and everyone else on the face of the earth. Unless you stop your own acting of “us and only us, no one else matters” attitude, what happens over there will never stop. No one is cheering when Hamas send rockets over, but no one is also not cheering when you send over your bombs either. The only winner is the creators of the war machines. You know this as well.

    In between the lines you are saying (and threatening) that you will not commerce with Turkey anymore. Fine, then the people of Turkey will not commerce with Israel either. The people of Turkey will put pressure on the government and the military not to buy any Israeli products, and we both will be fine. People of Turkey will not suffer without the Israeli products just as Israelis will be OK if they don’t vacation in Turkey. For the Turkish Airlines, they were doing just fine before and will do so after the flight are reduced to 1 a day.

    I worked with the Jewish doctors for about 10 days when the earthquake happened in my hometown in 1999.  They were just fine people. My father was even treated in the military hospital that was erected. And, I appreciated very much. The doctors there were just fine people. It was an humanitarian act that was appreciated very much.  I am sure the Turkish doctors will be there if needed as well. What is wrong with that? When the life as we know comes to an end, where will be the Jewish people? Left alone by the almighty God? I don’t think so.

    Mr. Feldman, this is an e-mail from a layman in Turkiye to a layman in Israel. My wish is for you to respect the right to life of Palestinians just as it is my wish to Palestinian people to respect the right to life or your people. There is no other way for peace which serves for you and me.

    Regards

    Shamil

    Assoc.Prof.Dr.Gül Celkan
    Eastern Mediterranean University
    Coordinator for the Rector’s Office
    Faculty Member, Department of ELT
    Gazimagusa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
    +903926301538
    gul.celkan@emu.edu.tr
    Mersin-10, Turkey

  • TURKEY DECODED by: Ann DISMORR

    TURKEY DECODED by: Ann DISMORR

    Immediate Media Release –
    “TURKEY DECODED” with Ambassador Ann DISMORR
    Date:     On Wednesday, February 25, 2009, NYC.
    Today’s Date:     January 28, 2009, NY
    For INVITATION of the Program>

    LIGHT MILLENNIUM in collaboration with the COLUMBIA University Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures, Middle East Institute, and the Consulate General of SWEDEN in New York, proudly presents:

    A Book Presentation and Signing:

    TURKEY DECODED
    by:
    Ann DISMORR
    Swedish Ambassador to Turkey from 2001-2005

    Introduction of the author by:
    Ambassador Ulf HJERTONSSON

    Moderator:
    Professor Peter AWN
    Dean of General Studies and Director of MEI at Columbia University

    WHEN:On Wednesday, February 25, 2009
    TIME: Registration & Reception 6:30 pm, with program to follow

    WHERE:Columbia University, International Affairs Building (IAB room 1501, 15th floor)
    Located at 420 W. 118th Street (at Amsterdam Avenue)

    Please RSVP by:     February 24, 2009, 5PM.

    Please RSVP to> contact@lightmillennium.org

    Web site:
    – This event is free and open to the general public.
    Ann DISMORR’s book, “Turkey Decoded”, examines Turkey’s foreign policy, ties with the US and the Middle East, as well as troubled relations with the EU.

    Some of the twenty-first century’s greatest challenges are reflected in Turkey-EU relations: the widening gap between the West and the Muslim world, terrorism, and the struggle for human rights and democratization. Although membership talks were launched more than three years ago and are anticipated to finish in 2014, fully fledged membership is far from certain. There is growing concern in both Turkey and the West about Turkey’s “Islamization.”

    Ann DISMORR     examines the implications of Turkey’s affiliation with Europe while also addressing its role in the Middle East and its complex relationship with the U.S. She pays particular attention to the sweeping reforms initiated by the Justice and Development Party, and to the career and policies of one-time political prisoner and current Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

    From the unique view point of one of the few female ambassadors to Turkey, DISMORR describes a country in transition, covering topics from the Kurds to the Iraq War, women’s rights, the crisis over Cyprus and the polarizing presidential election of 2007.

    “Turkey Decoded” includes the following 12 chapters:

    1) Turkish Identity;
    2)     Turkey in the Waiting Room of the European Union;
    3)     Changing EU-Turkish Relations, 1999-2007;
    4)     Pro-Islamic Party Gained Power and Succeed in Historic EU Breakthrough;
    5)     From Human Rights Deficit to Progress;
    6)     The Kurdish Question: A Roadblock to Turkish EU Membership?;    		 7) Women Between Tradition and Transformation;
    8)     Changing US-Turkish Relations and their Impact on the EU Process;
    9)     Turkey’s Role in the Middle East: Possibilities and Limitations;
    10)     Turkey: Bridge or Barrier Between East and West?;
    11)     Turkey’s Future: EU Success Story or Unfulfilled Promise?;
    12)     The Beginning of a Post-Kemalist Era.

    Following the presentation, there will be an open discussion moderated by Prof. Peter AWN.


    The American Turkish Society    (www.americanturkishsociety.org), as a part of its Meet the Ambassadors program, will host a reception in honor of Ambassador Ann DISMORR and guests at the event’s venue.

    * * * * *

    About the Author:

    Ann DISMORR has extensive knowledge of the region and of Islam, having lived in Saudi Arabia, worked on the Middle East peace process and served as an ambassador in Lebanon. Since 2006 she is the Ambassador/Head of the International Department of the Swedish Parliament, and working actively to enhance the understanding and dialogue with the Muslim world.

    DISMORR’s other key positions:
    Swedish Foreign Ministry 1981
    Senior advisor on Parliament’s project on its relations with the Muslim world in the EU’s immediate vicinity (launched in 2005)
    Ambassador in Turkey and Azerbaijan 2001-2005
    Ambassador in Lebanon 1999-2001
    Counsellor, Swedish UN Mission in Geneva 1995-99; in charge of human rights issues
    Deputy Director, Foreign Ministry in Stockholm 1993-95; political department, Middle East department
    Diplomatic Advisor to Sten Andersson, Former Foreign Minister and special envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks 1993-97
    Executive assistant to Foreign Minister Margareta af Ugglas, 1991-92
    Negotiating EU-EFTA affairs, Foreign Ministry Trade Department, 1988-89
    Embassy in the UK; first secretary, economic affairs, 1985-88
    Embassy in Zimbabwe; second secretary, 1983-85
    Chairperson of the Friendship Association of the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul.
    Author of the book “Turkey Decoded” (published by Saqi books, London in 2008)
    Co-author of the book “Plikten och äventyret” (published by Carlsson Bokförlag 2008)
    PhD studies at Yale University, Connecticut, USA, 1990-91, political science (EU-USA relations)
    Postgraduate studies (political science), University of Gothenburg
    Bachelor of Arts, University of Stockholm
    Lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 1979-1981, 1982-83.


    About Ambassador Ulf HJERTONSSON:

    As of March 1, 2006, Ambassador Ulf HJERTONSSON is the Consul General of Sweden in New York. Ambassador Ulf HJERTONSSON has worked for the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs since 1965.  His career in the Swedish foreign service has included a number of key appointments, both in Stockholm and abroad.

    Most recently, from 2001 to 2006, he was Ambassador of Sweden in Helsinki, Finland.  Prior to this, he served as Special Adviser to the Foreign Minister and Chairman of the EU-US Task Force during the Swedish EU Presidency in 2001.

    Previous appointments include Director General for Political Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm in 1995; Ambassador of Sweden in Madrid, Spain, in 1989; Minister at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC in 1985; Foreign Policy Adviser to Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1984; and Assistant Under-Secretary for Political Affairs in 1983.

    His first diplomatic assignment was at the Swedish Embassy in Santiago de Chile, followed by the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations in New York in 1967, and the Swedish delegation to the European Communities in Brussels in 1978.

    Ulf HJERTONSSON has a special interest in language and literature and has published a number of literary translations, including works by Pablo Neruda and Michel Tournier.


    About Professor Peter J. AWN:

    On July 1, 2008, Professor Peter J. AWN took up his three-year term as Director of the Middle East Institute. He also continues to serve as Dean of the School of General Studies at Columbia.

    Peter J. AWN is Professor of Islamic Religion and Comparative Religion in the Department of Religion. He received his Ph.D. in Islamic Religion and Comparative Religion from Harvard University in 1978, at which point he joined the Columbia faculty. Previously he earned degrees in Philosophy, Classical Languages, and Christian Theology. Professor AWN‘s book, “Satan’s Tragedy and Redemption: Iblîs in Sufi Psychology“, received a book award from the American Council of Learned Societies. In 1984 he was the first recipient of the “Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Award” for distinguished teaching and research. In 1995 Professor AWN was awarded the “Great Teacher Award” from the Society of Columbia Graduates. Professor AWN has received numerous grants including a Fulbright and several grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was also a Principal Investigator on the Muslim Communities in New York City research project, sponsored by the Ford Foundation. In addition to his work at Columbia, Professor Awn has been Visiting Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Professor AWN has traveled widely in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, and South Asia.

    In addition to his service as Dean of the School of General Studies (GS), Professor AWN currently serves as Acting Dean of the School of Continuing Education (SCE). He has served as chair of the Department of Religion, chair of the Steering Committee of the Chairs of the Arts & Sciences Departments, and chair of the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences. In addition he has served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Religion, and Arts & Sciences Faculty Liaison to the Office of University Development and Alumni Relations.


    Producers of the program: Bircan Ünver, Light Millennium & Prof. Etem Erol, Columbia University &
    Martina Högberg    , Consulate General of Sweden in New York

    For more information:     contact@lightmillennium.org, ee2105@columbia.edu, martina.hogberg@foreign.ministry.se or/ martina.hogberg@gmail.com

    – For INVITATION> https://www.lightmillennium.org/events/ann_dismorr_turkey.html


    “The Light Millennium, is a 501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt and Public Benefit Organization &

    has become associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations effective December 12, 2005, and member of the Non-Profit Coordination Committee of New York. – – . Based in Queens, New York – On the Web since August 1999…
    YOU ARE THE SOUL OF THIS GLOBAL PLATFORM. & WE ARE FOR THE GREATNESS IN HUMANITY.”

    If you wish to receive The Light Millennium’s media releases, announcements or about future events
    or to be part of the Light Millennium,     please send us an e-mail to> contact@lightmillennium.org

  • “İstanbul in Turkish and World Culture”

    “İstanbul in Turkish and World Culture”

    Conference web page:

    The Seventh International Congress on Turkish Culture will be held in 2009 with the theme of  in relation with “İstanbul 2010: European Capital of Culture”. International Congresses on Culture are organized by the Atatürk Center for Culture in every four years.
    The Congress will be held on October 6-10, 2009 in Ankara. The participants are expected to fill up the attached form and to send it together with a summary of their papers to the Atatürk Center for Culture with e-mail, mail or fax no later than March 1, 2009. I would like to thank to all participants for their invaluable contributions.
    Sincerely yours,

    Prof. Dr. Osman HORATA
    Chair
    The Atatürk Center for Culture

  • ATTENTION TO OUR MEMBERS

    ATTENTION TO OUR MEMBERS

    RECURRING SYSTEM RELATED DIFFICULTIES DID NOT PERMIT US TO UPGRADE AND EXTEND OUR SYSTEMS.

    INSUFFICIENT TF FUNDING APPEARS TO BE MAJOR PROBLEM IN THIS CASE.

    Our Life Long address www.turkishforum.com is now being changed for English News Pages to www.turkishnews.com/en/content and similarly for Turkish news pages to www.turkishnews.com/tr/content

    All our daily distribution will immediately switch to the www.turkishnews.com address. Our web entry addresses will soon be adjusted from www.turkishforum.com to www.turkishnews.com , PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THIS UPCOMING CHANGE.

    WE UNTICIPATED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS DURING THIS CHANGE and We are working on them. WE ARE ALSO WORKING HARD TO MINIMIZE UN-UNTICIPATED PROBLEMS.

    THE MAJOR REASON FOR INSUFFICIENT FUNDS ARE: WE HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ONGOING AND WEB POSTED PROGRAMS AND THE TF’s WEB AND NEWS DISTRUBUTION LINES SET UP FOR MEMBERS.

    THE APPERENT REASON FOR INSUFFICIENT FUNDS ARE DELAYS IN RECEIVING MEMBERSHIP DUES AND DONATIONS FROM ALL MEMBERS. PLEASE MAKE AN EXTRA EFFORT TO SEND YOUR DONATIONS AND MUCH NEEDED MEMBERSHIP DUES TO TURKISH FORUM. By using the addresses given at OUR CONTINUING SERVICE TO YOU AND TO THE TURKISH COMMUNITIES THROUGH OUT THE WORLD DEPENDS ON YOUR SUPPORT

    WE DEEPLY THANK FOR ALL MEMBERS, WHO SENDED THEIR MEMBERSHIP DUES AND DONATIONS FOR 2009.

    REPRESENTING TURKISHFORUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    Dr. Kayaalp Buyukataman

    President CEO, TurkishForum

  • Ambassador Jeffrey Visits Sakarya Memorial

    Ambassador Jeffrey Visits Sakarya Memorial

    Amb. Jeffrey stands in front of the memorial statue at the Sakarya Zafer Anıtı

    Ambassador Jeffrey Visits Sakarya Memorial

    On January 17, Ambassador James Jeffrey visited the memorials to the great battle of Sakarya, west of Ankara.   This epic battle, fought for 21 days in August and September 1921 along a 100 kilometer front near the Sakarya River, marked the turning point in the Turkish War of Independence and prevented the Greek army from advancing on the new Turkish capital of Ankara.  The Ambassador first visited the Karargah Müzesi in Alagöz, the house that Atatürk chose for his field headquarters during the battle.  There, he wrote in the guest book: “The victory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk not only gave birth to our ally, modern Turkey, but served as an inspiration for all who yearn for independence and sovereignty.”

    Later, Ambassador Jeffrey visited the Sakarya Zafer Anıtı ve Müzesi in Polatlı; and the Duatepe Şehitlik Anıtı, the beautiful monument on the top of the first hill to be retaken by counterattacking Turkish troops.  The Ambassador was guided on his tour and provided an excellent account of the battle by Colonel Abdulkadir Koc and Major Erkan Oğulganmış, both of the Turkish Armed Forces Artillery and Missile School in Polatlı.

    Visiting Fulbright Professor George Gawrych, who is doing research for a book on Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s transition from general to statesman during the Turkish War of Independence, also accompanied Ambassador Jeffrey on the visit.

    >> Photo gallery

  • Turkish PM Erdogan storms out of Davos over Gaza

    Turkish PM Erdogan storms out of Davos over Gaza

    with  comments


    A star is born.

    Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan quotes Avi Shlaim, reminds Shimon Peres of the sixth commandment (Thou shalt not kill), tells him ‘You are killing people’, and tells Davos he’s never coming again before storming off the stage.

    So first it was Venezuela, then Bolivia, and now Turkey. Have the Arab states no shame?

    Norman Finkelstein doesn’t think so. Here is what he told an audience in Bahrain: ‘The reaction from the Arab world was a total disgrace, a disgrace to the whole region and its people…What you showed in the last massacre in Gaza is that you have no shame at all…The most powerful reactions in the world came from Bolivia, Venezuela, Mauritania, Turkey and Qatar…There was more solidarity in South America than here’.

    Stormy debate in Davos over Gaza

    The Turkish prime minister has stormed out of a heated debate at the World Economic Forum in Davos over Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan walked out of the televised debate on Thursday, after the moderator refused to allow him to rebut the Israeli president’s justification about the war that left about 1,300 Gazans dead.

    Before storming out, Erdogan told Shimon Peres, the Israeli president: “You are killing people.”

    Peres told Erdogan during the heated panel discussion that he would have acted in the same manner if rockets had been falling on Istanbul.

    Moderator David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, then told Erdogan that he had “only a minute” to respond to a lengthy monologue by Peres.

    Erdogan said: “I find it very sad that people applaud what you said. There have been many people killed. And I think that it is very wrong and it is not humanitarian.”

    Ignatius twice attempted to finish the debate, saying, “We really do need to get people to dinner.”

    Erdogan then said: “Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I don’t think I will come back to Davos after this.”

    ‘Understandable’

    Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League and former Egyptian foreign minister, said Erdogan’s action was understandable.

    He said: “Mr Erdogan said what he wanted to say and then he left. That’s all. He was right,” adding that Israel “doesn’t listen”.

    The exchange took place on the second day of the summit, where business and political leaders have been discussing trade, financial regulation and global security.

    After grappling with a bleak global economy on the opening day, leaders attending the forum switched to debates on the new administration in the United States and unrest in the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    Kamal Nath, India’s trade minister, warned that the global economic crisis could fuel protectionism to safeguard national industries and jobs.

    Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, used the forum to announce the launch of an emergency appeal for $613m to help Palestinians recover from Israel’s attack on Gaza.

    Protectionist fears

    Nath said that India saw growing signs of protectionism and would respond with its own measures if its exporters were threatened “which will be good for no one.”

    He said: “We do fear this because one must recognise that at the heart of globalisation lies global competitiveness, and if governments are going to protect their non-competitive production facilities it’s not going to be fair trade.

    India has raised tariffs on steel to protect local producers, a measure trade experts say was aimed at China, which India does not regard as a market economy.

    The deepening economic crisis, and the failure to complete the World Trade Organisation’s long-running Doha round on freeing up global commerce, have raised fears that countries will block their partners’ exports to protect jobs at home.

    Such protectionism, if it led to tit-for-tat retaliation, would intensify the current crisis.

    Emerging economies

    The economies of India, China and Russia, which have been experiencing rapid growth in recent years, have taken precedence at the forum.

    Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European studies at Oxford University, said emerging markets are almost overshadowing the importance of the US economy.”What is really striking to me about this Davos, is the lack of a sense of a new beginning with Barack Obama,” he told Al Jazeera.

    “That is not what we’ve been hearing about in the last 24 hours, we’ve been hearing about China, about Russia, about India, about emerging economies, and that I think is a very significant fact.

    “It’s not just the American investment banks that have gone down, it’s America’s own soft power, and ability to lead that has been badly damaged by the crash.”

    Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Egypt’s minister of trade and industry, said there would be a rush towards emerging markets.

    “People understand today that there will not be growth in developed countries for a long time to come, the growth will continue to be in emerging markets, even more than before,” he told Al Jazeera.

    Gaza appeal

    The UN secretary-general said he had been deeply moved by his visit to Gaza and that he had given his word that the UN would help the Gazans in their hour of need.

    He said the appeal for fund covered the requirements of the UN and other aid organisations for the next six to nine months.Ban said it would help provide aid such as medical care and clean water and that an appeal for longer-term needs would be launched later.

    Asked about achieving peace in Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel’s Likud party who was attending the forum, swiftly turned his answer to Iran, which he said was in a “100-yard dash” to get nuclear weapons.

    While he did not specify any planned military action, Netanyahu said if Iranian rulers were “neutralised”, the danger posed to Israel and others by Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in south Lebanon would be reduced.

    Netanyahu said the global financial meltdown was reversible but “what is not reversible is the acquisition of nuclear weapons by a fanatic radical regime”.

    Meanwhile, Manouchechr Mottaki, Iran’s foreign minister, who is also in Davos, said Tehran had taken note of the intention of Barack Obama, the US president, to withdraw troops from Iraq and believed he should also pull troops out of Afghanistan.

    Mottaki told a panel at the forum that Obama had “courage” to say which of the policies of George Bush, the former US president, he disagreed with and said his approach marked a “milestone” away from an era of “might equals right”.

    Turkish PM Erdogan storms out of Davos over Gaza

    Responses to ‘Turkish PM Erdogan storms out of Davos over Gaza’

    Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to ‘Turkish PM Erdogan storms out of Davos over Gaza’.

    1. Thank you for this. Excellent as usual.
      Ithink it is those shoes they are wearing….. First Muntadar threw his Turkish made shoes at Bush, and now the Turkish Prime Minister is head-butting with Perez. Yes Im sure he has his bought a new pair of Muntas :)))

      no2wars

      29 Jan 09 at 11:08 pm

    2. […] Read more here on PULSE.ORG […]

      It must be in those Turkish shoes they are wearing… « Ignited Identity

      29 Jan 09 at 11:11 pm

    3. Woohoo! Feels good!

      Dean

      29 Jan 09 at 11:28 pm

    4. Following the massacre on Google Trends Turkey was one of the countries which seemed most interested in Gaza. I’m sure he will have a lot of popular support for this at home.

      Well done Mr Erdogan!

      Dave

      30 Jan 09 at 12:31 am

    5. Shame on all the shameless arab leaders. They are cowards and puppets. Very soon they will all go to hell for their silence. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy Erdogan

      fred

      30 Jan 09 at 12:52 am

    6. […] Veo más en Pulse, en inglés. “A star is born“. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Israel destruye y deja sitio al […]

      Erdogan, Gaza, la dignidad de Turquía y Davos « Situjihadismo

      30 Jan 09 at 1:07 am

    7. Thank you, PM Erdogan, for standing up for what is right, for showing some spine and conscience when much of the rest of the world’s sham representatives stayed silent. Shame Shame Shame to most of the Arab “leaders”. Kudos to Türkiye.

      peoplesgeography

      30 Jan 09 at 1:12 am

    8. That was beautiful! Brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. What a man. Erdoğan was heroic, and he made the others look like dickless little prigs at tea. Viva Türkiye! To think the EU gave them so much shit about membership. They should have been pleading.

      99

      30 Jan 09 at 1:37 am

    9. Al Jazeera was just showing Erdogan receive a hero’s welcome on his return. Crowds were gathered at the airport with Turkish and Palestinian flags to greet him. I bet the Kemalists are squirming.

      m.idrees

      30 Jan 09 at 1:49 am

    10. Turkey has some room to maneuver vis-a-vis Israel and the US, which is not speaking much of those Arab states. Erdogan will be showered with praise.

      How deeply ironic is it that those who are the most vocal on the Palestinian cause ARE not Arab but Turk, Lebanese Shiite and Persian?

      Joshua

      30 Jan 09 at 4:59 am

    11. A shame file of Arab journalists giving Israel a free pass from Iqbal Tamimi:

      peoplesgeography

      30 Jan 09 at 8:02 am

    12. Shame on American leaders. Even when america presidents were kicked on th face( by Sharon as reported by BBC during gaz conflict of 2002, albeit metaphorically) Americans could not react out of fear of Zionist lobby.Erdogan is man with back bone. a man of honour and courrage.

      Dr.Joji Cherian

      30 Jan 09 at 1:22 pm

    13. Muhammad,

      I just read over at Philip Weiss’s blog a rather more detailed description of what went over at Davos. I haven’t watched the entire episode unfold but I wonder what is your take on it?

      Nevertheless, Peres is one official on crack.

      Joshua

      31 Jan 09 at 4:56 am

    14. […] consistently and impartially applying rules to speakers. That debate in which Turkish PM Erdoğan walked out involved deliberately unequal times for speakers (see my calculations of actual speaking times in […]

      Peres’s Propaganda and Gaza Panel’s Biased Moderator « Silver Lining

      31 Jan 09 at 3:13 pm